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EVOLUTION  PROVING 
IMMORTALITY 


By  John  O.  Yeiser 


PRICE  ^1.50  POSTPAID 


Published  by 

National  Magazine  Association 
Bee  Building,  Omaba,  Neb. 


COPYRIGHT 

1917 

BY  JOHN  O.  YEISER 


(Ti 


FOREWORD 

While  this  volume  is  a revision  of  ‘^Immortality  Es- 
tablished Through  Science/’  so  much  new  matter  has 
been  added  that  this  is  really  a new  book  and  deserves 
a new  title  to  distinguish  it  from  all  earlier  editions. 


This  volume,  like  the  one  referred  to,  is  not  a veiled 
argument  for  or  against  any  particular  church  or  any 
religious  doctrine,  but  is  primarily  a scientific  search 
among  things  known  to  science  for  physical  evidences  of 
immortality  utterly  regardless  of  the  dogmas  of  any 
church. 


The  editions  mentioned  under  the  other  title  were 
given  such  a cordial  reception  that  it  has  caused  the 
writer  boundless  gratification  and  made  him  feel  that 
- if  so  much  satisfaction  was  afforded  the  readers,  it  justi- 
' fied  all  the  other  careful  study  and  thought  necessary  to 
^ revise  and  enlarge  the  work. 

^ Perhaps  the  practice  of  law  cultivates  a tendency  to 
question  and  analyze  and  may  account  for  the  pleasure 
' of  this  work.  Besides  the  rest  one  derives  from  leaving 
routine  work  compensates  for  the  time  taken. 

f 

Why  should  we  labor  all  the  time,  or  study  works  of 
I gloom  and  disappointment  when  we  may  absorb  ourselves, 
deriving  pleasure  from  that  which  is  instructive  and  ele- 
vating  and  hope  inspiring? 

^ The  “Sorrows  of  Wurther,”  an  affecting  tale  of  dis- 
appointment in  love  and  of  suicide,  obtained  many  victims 
^ of  self  destruction  for  Goethe,  its  author.  Strange  is  the 
fact  that  these  suicides  dressed  themselves  as  Wurther, 
and  died  in  the  same  manner.  The  brilliant  Ingersoll 
j wrote  a book,  “Is  Suicide  a Sin?”  and  martialed  the  sick 
and  the  sorrowful,  the  disgraced  and  degraded;  arguing 
and  convincing  these  men  of  disappointment  that  suicide 
was  their  right  and  privilege.  They  died  by  the  advice 


6 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


of  Ingersoll.  They  should  have  been  taught  that  their 
lives  from  before  birth,  were  but  re-enactments  of  the 
millions  of  years  of  evolution  it  took  to  make  a man,  and 
that  after  this  mortal  pause  life  will  continue.  What  dis- 
appointment in  love,  or  domestic  happiness;  what  dis- 
aster in  business,  or  physical  affliction;  what  calamity  of 
nations  or  even  loss  to  the  broad  field  of  astronomy,  will 
overbalance  a well-grounded  belief  in  a future  life? 

This  volume  is  intended  to  elevate  mankind,  to  open 
their  eyes,  not  only  for  the  hereafter,  but  while  here, 
living  in  this  marvelous  state  of  existence. 

Christians  are  requested  to  read  the  letter  in  appen^ 
dix  before  reading  this  work.  All  non-Christians  are  re- 
quested not  to  read  the  appendix  until  they  have  read  all 
that  goes  before. 

This  suggestion  is  made  out  of  fairness  to  the  reader, 
because  it  should  be  understood  that  unusual  statements, 
calculations,  and  deductions,  of  every  man  are  under  some 
suspicion  until  he  has  proven  himself  capable  of  agreeing 
with  us  in  some  of  our  unusual  calculations  and  conclu- 
sions. 

For  the  purpose  of  overcoming  this  obstacle,  as  far 
as  possible,  and  starting  out  in  harmonious  agreement 
with  every  reader,  and  gradually  laying  down  proposition 
after  proposition  in  progressive  order  this  division  of 
readers  is  made  with  advice  upon  where  to  begin. 

JOHN  O.  YEISER. 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  January  12,  1917. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  I. 
Chapter  II. 
Chapter  III. 
Chapter  IV. 
Chapter  V. 
Chapter  VI. 
Chapter  VII. 
Chapter  VIII. 
Chapter  IX. 
Chapter  X. 
Chapter  XL 
Chapter  XII. 

Chapter  XIII. 
Chapter  XIV. 
Chapter  XV. 


Introduction. 

Birth  of  the  World. 

Life  Development. 

Antiquity  of  Man. 

Evolution  of  Man. 

Deductions  from  Evolution. 

Man  Analyzed. 

Deductions  from  Analysis. 

Have  We  a Soul  Now? 

Soul  Independent  of  the  Body. 
Origin  of  the  Soul. 

Why  a Soul  Has  no  Pre-Birth 
Memory. 

Reincarnation  Doubted. 

Heaven  and  Hell. 

Conclusion. 

Appendix. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


.■ -i? 


https://archive.org/details/evolutionprovingOOyeis 


INTRODUCTION 


CHAPTER  I. 

An  attempt  will  be  made  to  present  an  im- 
partial and  simple  synthetic  theory  of  the  meta- 
physical' existence  of  man  after  death,  based  upon 
scientific  facts,  for  the  gratification  and  satis- 
faction such  evidence  may  be  to  both  the  theist 
and  the  atheist. 

In  order  to  lay  the  foundation  for  a few  new 
ideas,  which  I believe  are  worthy  of  consideration, 
I desire  to  present  some  of  the  most  generally 
known  facts  concerning  evolution.  This  is  neces- 
sary, because  evolution  is  the  basis  for  what  I 
have  to  say,  and  because  that  subject  is  not  un- 
derstood generally  for  the  reason  that  it  has  been 
shunned  by  a large  class  of  people,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  early  apostles  of  evolution  used  their 
discoveries  to  combat  religion. 

Those  familiar  with  the  wide  range  of  sci- 
entific knowledge  upon  this  subject  may,  if  they 
choose,  omit  the  few  selected  fundamental  steps, 
and  catch  one  of  the  ideas  inspiring  this  work  by 
turning  to  chapter  XL,  or  if  time  is  not  too  pre- 
cious, include  the  other  by  starting  with  Chapter 
VIII. 

Although  it  is  not  essential  to  prove  a first 
cause  in  order  to  maintain  the  position  taken,  at- 


10 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


tention  is  directed  back  several  million  years,  upon 
the  hypothesis  that  the  earth  has  existed  that 
long,  in  order  to  obtain  something  like  an  alge- 
braic basis  from  which  to  reason,  by  process  of 
induction,  much  as  one  learns  the  value  of  the 
unknown  quantity  in  mathematics. 


BIRTH  OF  THE  WORLD 


CHAPTER  II, 

It  most  certainly  is  not  satisfying  to  say  this 
earth  may  have  been  thrown  off  by  the  sun  and 
then  disregard  the  origin  of  the  sun.  The  prin- 
ciple of  the  origin  of  one  world,  or  one  sun,  in- 
volves the  origin  of  them  all.  Before  going  back 
to  such  a period,  let  us  consider  the  world  only 
from  the  time  of  an  intense  heat,  so  clearly  visible 
over  its  entire  surface,  and  beneath  its  contract- 
ing, crackling  crust. 

Experimenting  with  molten  matter  and 
slowly  cooling  disks  of  basalt,  of  varying  sizes, 
to  obtain  the  average  increase  of  time  for  cool- 
ing, with  the  increase  of  size  of  such  bodies,  sci- 
entists have  estimated  that  this  earth,  25,000 
miles  in  circumference,  would  not  have  been  re- 
duced from  the  sun’s  temperature  of  3,600  degrees 
to  400  degrees  in  less  than  350,000,000  years.  Sev- 
eral million  years  were  required  before  any  con- 
ceivable form  of  vegetable  or  animal  life  could  pos- 
sibly have  existed  upon  the  earth. 

After  cooling  sufficiently  to  form  a crust  of 
nearly  10,000  feet  of  sand,  stone,  lava,  grit  and 
shale,  which  many  have  estimated  required  an  ad- 
ditional 500,000  years,  the  carboniferous  strata,  or 
coal,  from  fern  growth,  records  an  estimated  age 
of  nearly  1,000,000  years.  The  antiquity  of  the 


12 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


earth  is  shown  by  numerous  facts  unnecessary  to 
catalogue  in  this  work,  but  further  on  facts  may 
make  it  convincing  that  several  cyphers  should  be 
placed  on  the  right  of  the  highest  estimate  above. 

It  may  be  added  that  the  conclusions  reached 
would  not  be  affected  even  though  the  earth  may 
not  have  been  thrown  off  from  the  sun  and  even 
though  the  sun  may  not  be  a seething  mass  of 
fire. 


LIFE  DEVELOPMENT 


CHAPTER  III. 

Volumes  of  clearly  understood  facts  prove 
the  age  of  the  earth,  reasonably  close,  from  the 
crust  period  down,  calculated  by  millions  of  years 
and  conclusively  showing  that  ample  time  has 
elapsed  for  the  gradual  development  of  all  forms 
of  life  which  exist  upon  the  earth.  Measured  by 
the  casual  changes  we  are  now  permitted  to  wit- 
ness, human  life  could  have  been  developed,  de- 
stroyed, and  redeveloped  over  and  over  since  the 
world  began  to  support  life.  Moreover,  what  may 
have  happened  in  the  so-called  beginning,  or  when 
the  earth  had  cooled  sufficiently  to  sustain  life, 
is  still  happening  for  organized  life  permeates  the 
air,  not  only  to  the  highest  altitudes  from  which 
it  can  be  taken,  but  even  exists  in  space  beyond, 
from  which  we  are  constantly  receiving  these 
new  visitors,  and  evidences  thereof,  sometimes  in 
the  meteors  that  fall  to  the  ground.  No  attempt 
will  be  made,  as  previously  stated,  to  go  back  to 
first  causes  and  indicate  the  origin  of  all  this,  but 
attention  is  invited  back  far  enough  to  show,  that 
if  we  have  made  such  wonderful  advance  as  we 
behold  today,  may  we  not  develop  a little  more 
according  to  the  same  law? 

Time  forbids  a discussion  of  the  operation 
of  the  principle  of  evolution  which  we  may  ac* 


14 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


tually  observe  in  the  heavens  through  modern 
astronomy.  No  more  space  will  be  consumed  here 
than  to  mention  that  the  brief  history  of  the 
earth’s  age  written  by  fire,  and  water,  and  growth, 
and  decay,  through  the  various  and  regular  strata 
of  the  earth’s  surface,  which,  however,  crushed 
and  torn  by  internal  pressure,  and  volcanic  erup- 
tion, remain  generally  in  the  same  relation  to 
each  other  all  over  the  world,  and  contain  evi- 
dence in  petrification,  and  volcanic  lava,  and  in 
amber,  and  rock  formations,  that  insects,  plants, 
worms,  snails,  and  other  very  low  forms  of  life 
existed  in  the  Archeozoic  age,  while  no  evidence 
whatever  is  found  of  higher  life. 

The  strata  of  the  Palaezoic  period  of  earth 
formation,  of  several  hundred  thousand  years 
later,  contain  remains  of  fishes,  reptiles  and  birds 
as  evidence  of  the  highest  form  of  life,  while  the 
higher  strata,  that  beneath  the  soil  of  the  present 
age,  known  as  the  deposits  of  the  Cenozoic  age, 
contain  evidence  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  in 
form  near  that  which  exists  today. 


ANTIQUITY  OF  MAN 
CHAPTER  IV. 


Since  the  history  of  man  is  so  incomplete  and 
vague,  and  since  even  the  fragmentary  inscrip- 
tions on  tombs  date  back  at  most  not  exceeding 
15, OOO'’ years  before  Christ,  unless  recent  discov- 
eries actually  carry  it  back  several  hundred  thou- 
sand years,  still  we  are  unable  to  know^  much  about 
man’s  development  and  habits.  Abundance  of  evi- 
dence of  man’s  antiquity  exists,  in  the  fact  that 
the  skulls  and  vertebrae  of  extinct  animals  of  the 
Quaternary  period  show  embedded  therein  the 
flint  arrows  of  men  who  lived  contemporaneously 
with  the  cave  bear,  cave  hyena,  Irish  deer,  rhi- 
noceros and  hippopotamus  of  Europe  when  it  was 
tropical.  Human  evidences  have  been  discovered 
under  various  undisturbed  strata  of  earth  pro- 
duced by  glacial  and  interglacial  periods,  with 
bones  of  mastodons  and  other  extinct  animals.  In 
one  instance  a human  skeleton  was  found  beneath 
four  distinct  buried  forests  in  Florida  and  esti- 
mated as  having  been  deposited  50,000  years  ago. 
What  once  was  considered  the  earliest  evidence 
of  man  was  found  in  Kent’s  Cavern  of  Torquay, 
where  stalagmites  are  forming  constantly  from 
the  minerals  contained  in  the  water  dripping  from 
the  top  of  the  cavern  to  the  floor.  In  this  cavern 
names  of  persons  that  were  cut  on  the  stalag- 
mite formations  200  years  ago  are  still  visible. 


ffie  Jcucnt  oj  wji  .j  The  aspea  of  the  lurih  in  the  Mferent  geological  eras  and  periods. 


Portion  of  Diagram  Illustrating  Professor  Haeckel’s  Theory 
of  Evolution. 

The  animal  forms,  or  “links”  in  the  decent  of  man  are  not  in  all  cases 
contemporaneous  with  the  juxtaposed  geological  eras  of  this  table. 

—McClure’s. 


18 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


being  covered  by  the  formation  only  to  a depth  of 
a thin  coat  of  varnish.  From  careful  estimates  as 
to  how  long  it  would  take  to  form  an  inch  of  stal- 
agmite the  British  association  was  led  to  deter- 
mine that  a foot  could  only  be  produced  in  20,000 
years.  “Now,”  says  the  Science  Record,  “far  be- 
low the  stalagmite  floor  specimens  of  man’s  handi- 
craft have  been  found.  At  the  very  lowest  esti- 
mate the  flint  weapons  in  Kent’s  Cavern  were 
made  500,000  years  ago.” 

The  museums  and  libraries  of  the  world  are 
filled  with  these  evidences.  The  ruins  of  great 
cities  in  Mexico  stand  exposed  without  a record, 
or  a word  of  tradition,  as  completely  buried  in  for- 
getfulness as  less  ancient  cities  in  the  old  world 
have  been  covered  by  ocean  waves  or  desert  sands. 

Only  a small  part  of  the  evidence  of  man’s  an- 
tiquity is  herein  presented,  but  the  proof  is  over- 
whelming that  the  conception  that  the  human 
race  was  created  only  4,000  years  before  Christ 
is  a result  of  some  misunderstanding  of  the  Bible. 

These  old  illustrations  are  given  in  prefer- 
ence to  newer  evidences,  because  they  are  more 
generally  known  and  because  it  is  necessary  to 
hurry  on  and  not  make  an  exhaustive  study  of 
anthropology. 


EVOLUTION  OF  MAN 


CHAPTER  V. 

Man  was  created  (his  creation  must  be  con- 
ceded because  he  is  here)  and  it  is  no  sin  to  in- 
quire how  he  was  created.  The  proof  that  the 
process  of  his  creation  is  by  a natural  law  is  no 
less  wonderful  than  if  man,  and  all  other  species, 
had  originally  been  created  in  the  forms  of  today. 
The  latter  stated  belief,  of  no  change  or  improve- 
ment, is  a lazy  man’s  idea.  It  is  considerably  bet- 
ter than  a worm  could  think,  but  along  the  same 
line. 


It  requires  long  patient  study  to  trace  the 
evolution  of  man,  and  in  this  discussion  we  can- 
not pause  to  analyze  and  compare  the  various 
forms  of  low  animal  life,  rooted  and  growing  in 
the  ground,  and  plant  life,  existing  without 
roots,  some  of  which  are  actually  possessed  of 
motive  power;  we  will  pass  over  the  comparison 
of  the  organisms  of  plants  and  animals  that  show 
marked  resemblance  to  each  other  in  habits, 
breathing,  circulation,  sexology,  sight  and  diges- 
tion; we  cannot  stop  to  become  interested  in  the 
similarity  in  embryo  of  the  child,  the  dog,  the 
fish,  and  other  animals;  we  even  have  not  time 
here  to  closely  compare  the  skeleton  of  the  ape 
and  man,  and  other  animals,  and  read  of  the  in- 
telligence of  the  ourang-outang  to  argue  the  prob- 


5 

Gibbon 


4 

Orang 


3 

Chimpanzee 


Gorilla 


Man 

—After  Huxley 


liun,  15,  gorilla;  1C,  nian. 

From  Evolution  by  Jordan  & Kellogg 


— Diagram  showing  arrangement  of  bones  in  the  han<l  or  foot 
of  various  animals  1 , man  , 2 gorilla  ; 3.  orang  ; 4.  ilog  , 5.  sea  lion  t> 
dolphin;  7,  bat;  8.  mole'  9 Ornithorhyiu'hus  (After  Haeckel.) 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


ability  that  such  animals  and  man  sprang  from 
a common  ancestry.  Immense  numbers  of  books 
could  be  written  on  the  subjects  of  animal,  insect, 
and  plant  intelligence  and  relationship.  Those 
already  written  are  a marvelous  study  which 
strengthens  the  cause. 

However,  let  us  pause  to  observe  that  very 
recently  Mr.  M.  L.  Cassaigne,  of  Paris,  has  been 
experiemnting  with  anaesthetics  upon  plants.  The 
species  that  writhe  and  contract,  or  curl  up,  with 
heat,  which  may  or  may  not  indicate  pain,  wnen 
subjected  to  anaesthetics  endure  much  more  heat, 
which  almost  proves  a sensation  of  pain,  or  sen- 
sitiveness, in  plant  life  resembling  our  pain  and 
provokes  an  inquiry  into  plant  intelligence. 

Prof.  Bose,  from  Calcutta,  has  advanced  a 
step  by  using  a mirror  to  reflect  beams  of  light 
across  a room  upon  a large  screen  from  a carx'ot 
strapped  to  a vivisector’s  board.  This  enlarges 
or  magnifies  motions.  He  charges  the  carrot  with 
electricity,  or  stabs  it  with  pincers,  when  in- 
stantly he  detects  a shudder  on  this  monster 
screen.  By  divers  ingenious  machines  he  discov- 
ers the  pulsation  of -plants  similar  to  the  heart 
beating  of  animals,  and  assumes  a nervous  system 
from  instantaneous  response  to  various  plant 
abuses.  He  records  the  changes  of  pulsations 
upon  the  administration  of  stimulants,  and  poi- 
sons, and  detects  a season  of  rest,  or  sleep,  as  con- 
trasted with  animation.  If  such  surprises  may 
be  detected  in  plants,  why  not  become  prepared 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


23 


to  expect  something  spiritually  wonderful  in  the 
life  of  man?  If  this  hidden  force,  or  feeling,  has 
been  discovered  in  a carrot,  what  may  we  not  more 
fully  realize  within  ourselves? 

Deviating  again,  we  will  look  for  life  and  in- 
telligence in  what  has  long  been  considered  a field 
of  dead  matter. 

Recent  studies  of  crystalization  of  molten 
metals,  and  observations  of  disintegration  in  met- 
als, show  some  outward  signs  of  life  after  observ- 
ing the  familiar  expansion  and  contraction  from 
heat  and  cold. 

We  observe  many  metals  being  disintegrated 
by  rust  and  electric  currents.  We  also  see  metals 
being  rebuilt  by  electro-plating.  Why  may  we 
not  discover  the  environment  where  minerals  in- 
crease under  the  same  rule  of  division  and  multi- 
plication of  cells  which  perpetuate  animal  and  veg- 
etable life?  Stalagmite  crystals  grow.  Why  not 
the  same  with  diamonds,  iron  pyrites  and  every 
one  of  nature’s  metals?  Miners  have  always  in- 
sisted that  metals  increase  in  mines. 

Even  when  metals  are  removed  from  their 
natural  environment,  become  refined  and  are  ex- 
posed to  dangers  of  disintegration  by  moisture,  air 
and  constant  uses  strains  and  wearing  always 
lessens  their  efficiency,  whether  the  metal  used  is 
steel  in  a spring  or  copper  as  a conductor  of  elec- 
tric current.  Any  kind  of  straining  interferes 
with  its  internal  molecular  activity.  Therefore  ma- 


24 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


chines  must  be  given  frequent  periods  of  rest  or 
they  will  much  sooner  wear  out  and  break.  Even 
non-use  of  magnets,  springs  and  all  kinds  of  en- 
gines will  make  them  sluggish  in  the  same  way 
that  overwork  will  strain  them.  These  peculiar 
indications  of  life,  and  vitality,  of  metals  may  not 
be  marveled  about  when  we  realize  that  moisture 
carries  something  that  eats  into  iron  and  steel,  and 
that  acids  and  poisons,  are  known  to  destroy 
nearly  every  kind  of  metal. 

But  at  the  root  of  it  all  is  the  fact,  that  in 
every  atom  of  any  mineral  there  are  near  a mil- 
lion electrons;  in  some,  more,  in  others,  less,  con- 
stantly changing  places,  forming  new  combina- 
tions, and  moving  mostly  in  regular  paths.  As 
this  is  conceded  by  the  whole  scientific  world,  in 
the  light  of  radium  and  various  ray  discoveries, 
is  it  not  time  to  ascribe  intelligence  to  these  pe- 
culiar actions  of  minerals  mentioned  above? 

Why  should  there  not  be  a state  conducive  to 
its  increase ; why  should  it  not  tire ; why  should  it 
not  explode  and  snap;  why  should  it  not  expand 
and  contract  with  heat  and  cold;  and  why  should 
it  not  quiver  with  electric  energy,  or  even  pos- 
sess some  peculiar  nervous  system  of  molecular 
intercommunication  ? 

It  is  now  contended  by  many  people,  with 
considerable  reason,  that  we  have  a mineral  king- 
dom, as  a third  division  of  life,  to  be  coupled  with 
the  vegetable  and  animal  kingdoms  by  a sort  of 
protocosmos  (if  the  word  may  be  coined)  to  be 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


25 


discovered.  The  mineral  kingdom,  in  its  various 
forms  of  life,  first  appeared  upon  earth  from  a 
gaseous  state,  teeming  with  the  kind  of  life  ex- 
isting before  there  was  a world.  Next  came  the 
vegetable  life,  with  its  many  modified  forms,  and 
lastly  animal  life,  yet  each  specimen  of  any  newer 
form  contains  some  trace  of  the  earlier  form,  back 
through  all  three  of  said  kingdoms  of  life. 

We  are  to  trace  man  back  to  the  ancestor  of 
all  animals,  and  then  still  further  back,  to  a life 
which  is  the  progenitor,  even  of  the  whole  vegeta- 
ble kingdom,  and  on  still  further,  to  the  primitive 
cells  of  the  mineral  kingdom,  and  then,  without 
tiring,  on  to  where  there  could  have  been  no  other 
origin,  save  and  excepting  such  a power  as  we  may 
by  hypothesis,  credit  to  God.  But  let  us  return 
for  a while  to  the  consideration  of  man  as  a basis 
from  which  to  reason  both  backward  and  forward. 

Considering  man  as  he  is  today,  and  we  see 
what  effect  climate,  habit  and  diet  have  upon  him ; 
we  observe  how  a family  becomes  divided  and  the 
children  of  one  branch  ascend  in  intelligence  while 
the  children  of  the  other  descend;  we  read  of 
how  nations  have  become  extinct  while  others  are 
dividing  and  forming  into  new  types.  These  facts 
point  to  evolution  and  degeneration  in  a slight 
degree.  What  would  five  hundred  thousand  years 
do? 


Those  who  first  discovered  the  signs  of  evo- 
lution, apparently,  became  so  intoxicated,  by  the 
excitement  of  their  discoveries,  that  they  conclud- 


26 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


ed  all  theories  were  upset.  They,  therefore,  de- 
nied that  consciousness  of  an  individual  continues 
after  death,  and  contended  that  we  have  evolved 
in  the  course  of  millions  of  years  from  the  proto- 
plasm up  to  some  oyster  form  of  life  and  on 
through  varying  stages  to  human  form.  It  was 
credited  to  accident,  but  should  be  credited  mostly 
to  the  force  of  mind,  or  the  action  of  the  nervous 
system,  responding  to  continuous  desire  and  ef- 
fort: some  control  superior  to  matter.  But  they 
always  limited  everything  to  tissue  modifications 
and  confined  the  work  to  matter.  And  there  they 
stopped. 

Volumes  have  been  written  to  prove  that  evo- 
lution is  the  product  of  accident  and  not  of  de- 
sign. I am  convinced  that  we  have  evolved 
through  a very  low  order  of  life  and  stand  baf- 
fled at  the  complex  organism  of  the  lowest  order 
of  life,  or  even  at  the  organization  of  any  cell  of 
any  living  thing.  But  I feel  satisfied  our  progress 
was  made  more  by  the  mental  push,  and  physical 
exertion,  directed  by  desire,  than  by  the  mere 
circumstance  of  accident.  These  directing  acci- 
dents cause  the  lowest  animals  and  insects  to  think 
and  change  their  desires.  It  is  said  that  a frog, 
by  instinct,  snaps  at  moving  bugs  and  worms,  but 
when  six  or  seven  have  been  doctored  with  bitter- 
ness, and  so  been  taken  in,  it  will  afterward  refuse 
them,  or  quit  such  snapping.  It  is  also  said 
when  a spider’s  web  is  destroyed  the  spider  will 
consider  the  extent  of  the  injury  to  determine 
whether  to  repair,  I’econstruct,  or  to  abandon  ttie 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


27 


location.  Although  this  is  disputed,  it  is  conceded 
that  a spider  uses  a different  method  to  capture 
and  poison  stinging  insects,  a more  wonderful  ex- 
ercise of  intelligence  than  the  use  of  discrimina- 
tion in  repairing  or  rebuilding  its  web. 

With  thousands  of  examples,  more  wonder- 
ful than  these,  showing  continuing  discrimina- 
tion, we  have  evidence  that  mind  has  had  in- 
finitely more  influence  than  accident  in  the  de- 
velopment of  life.  Accident,  or  calamity,  does  not 
cause  the  modification,  but  it  merely  influences 
the  intelligence  in  all  things,  as  the  intelligence  of 
the  frog  is  influenced.  I do  not  wish  to  deny  the 
existence  of  a force  in  environment,  if  such  it  may 
be  termed,  but  it  is  a negative  force,  or  merely 
an  obstacle.  The  positive,  or  true,  force  of  evolu- 
tion is  in  the  mind,  vitalism,  or  life-part,  of  the 
being  which  develops  an  intent  upon  overcoming 
the  resistence.  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  black 
animals  and  black  birds  may  be  more  easily  seen 
and  caught,  and  be  handicapped  in  catching  food 
in  the  arctic  regions,  and  in  this  way  an  advan- 
tage accrues  to  the  white  species.  But,  these  liv- 
ing things  know  their  advantages,  or  disadvan- 
tages, and  mate  with  their  own  preferences,  and 
look  forward  with  affection  to  the  appearance  of 
their  soft  white  off-spring  with  the  same  power- 
ful prenatal  influences  that  have  been  proven  to 
exist  in  mankind. 

While  I will  not  deny  the  existence  of  some 
influence  of  a negative  character  in  environment. 


28 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


I resent  the  denial  of  the  positive  influence  of 
the  mind.  Who  will  analyze  the  wonders  of  an- 
imal, insect,  and  plant  life,  and  deny  the  force  of 
mind — the  force  of  the  composite  mind  of  a long 
chain  of  ancestors — the  mind  with  the  force  given 
it  originally  by  the  Infinite.  We  marvel  at  the 
possibility  of  a continuing  Infinite  design,  but  ac- 
cept without  question,  crude  and  cumbersome  no- 
tions of  origin  by  chance. 

If  we  in  wonder  examine  the  blind  fish  of  cav- 
ern lakes,  and  speculate  on  how  the  eyes  have 
dwindled  into  rudimentary  organs,  or  reverted 
to  what  they  were  at  some  time  in  the  past,  be- 
cause disuse  obstructed  their  natural  develop- 
ment, we  cannot  become  convinced  that  accident 
destroyed  all  cave  fish  with  perfect  eyes  and  pre- 
served the  fish  hatched  blind  to  perpetuate  that 
species.  It  is  more  reasonable  to  assume  that 
the  mind,  or  life  part,  of  the  fish,  because  of  an 
environment  of  darkness,  ceased  its  stimulation 
of  these  organs  during  germinating  periods  and 
eyes  could  not  develop. 

What  accident  “ulcerated”  a gland  in  deep- 
sea  fishes  to  produce  phosphorus  bulbs  to  light 
their  paths  in  the  impenetrable  darkness  of  the 
deep?  Nothing  else  produced  such  a wonder  but 
the  living  part  of  the  fish.  The  everlasting  ne- 
cessity, and  desire,  produced  these  organs  through 
the  modification  of  cells.  The  accident  of  birth 
in  this  environment  made  it  necessary  to  continue 
a desire  for  light  until  the  “prayers”  of  even  the 


Orchis  Militaris— Insect  Eater 


30  Evolution  Proving  Immortality 

fishes  were  answered  through  God’s  law  of  evo- 
lution. 

The  whale’s  ancestors  came  up  from  the  sea, 
as  did  ours,  and  they  became  monsters  of  the 
land.  They  had  four  legs  and  a coat  of  hair. 
They  were  later  coaxed  back  to  a sea  life,  where 
their  legs  became  flippers  and  where  they  give 
birth  to  and  suckle  a calf.  The  same  law  that 
is  now  changing  the  side  of  a lazy  flounder  into 
a belly  and  which  is  moving  the  eye  from  the 
belly  side  to  the  back  side  was  the  law  that 
transformed  the  whale  from  a land  animal  to  a 
sea  animal — that  created  eyes  because  there  was 
light  and  created  light  because  animals  with  eyes 
migrated  to  places  of  darkness — it  is  the  law  of 
persistent  desire. 

When  we  are  told  of  the  possibility  that 
flowers  produce  gorgeous  colors,  delicious  nectar, 
and  fragrant  odors,  to  attract  as  common  car- 
riers the  little  insects,  that  carry  away  the  cells 
of  perpetuation,  simpletons  will  simply  laugh.  But 
if  the  deep  sea  fish  produced  its  own  lighting 
system  in  the  ocean  cavern  because  there  was  no 
light,  why  have  not  the  stationary  flowers  pro- 
duced a factor  to  induce  and  hire  a form  of  life 
that  does  move  to  carry  its  fertilizing  germs  to 
places  of  perpetuation  ? If  this  is  not  plain  enough 
to  make  men  think,  then  turn  to  Venus’s  fly-trap, 
the  pitcher  plant,  the  bladder  wort,  and  the  sun 
dew  and  learn  how  they  have  developed  their  cells 
to  entice,  trap,  devour  and  digest  members  of  the 
socalled  higher  animal  kingdom. 


Five  Fingers.  Degenerate  Legs. 

— After  Flower, 

(Four  or  five  of  following  cuts  after  those  of  Metcalf  in 
“Organic  Evolution.” 


Boa  Constrictor  Skeleton  Showing  Degenerate  Legs. 


32 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


The  tree  frog  has  assumed  the  color  and 
shape  of  the  oak  leaf;  the  walking-stick  insect 
cannot  easily  be  distinguished  from  the  stems  to 
which  it  clings  and  we  are  told  accident,  and 
chance,  kindly  saved  them,  and  that  mind  of 
neither  the  Infinite  and  its  product — that  of  the 
animal — in  its  progress  from  generation  to  gener- 
ation had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  True,  there  were 
accidents  and  to  surmount  them  the  intelligence 
of  the  different  forms  of  life  took  different 
courses.  While  some  animals  desired  the  mark- 
ings and  attributes  of  those  above  for  advantage 
we  have  fishes  which  for  perpetuation  lay  millions 
of  eggs,  from  which  only  two  in  a hundred  mil- 
lions reach  maturity.  Some  intelligence  stimu- 
lated this  prolific  energy  in  the  fish  while  the 
whale  is  satisfied  with  one  calf  in  two  or  more 
years. 

The  intelligence  mentioned  is  not  like  that 
exhibited  in  colleges,  but  though  ever  so  feeble,  it 
is  persistent  and  unvarying,  from  generation  to 
generation,  for  some  slight  and  at  the  same  time 
limited  change,  that  has  wrought  these  miraculous 
types  of  life.  It  is  not  contended  these  low  forms 
of  life  know  the  final  consequences  in  desire  and 
evolution.  (The  human  race  even  does  not  know 
that.)  But  they  do  know  enough  to  desire  the 
slight  step  next  to  be  taken. 

However,  some  examples  of  quick  changes 
may  be  noted: 

Since  biologists  alter  species  of  shrimps, 
water  animals,  and  insects,  while  in  the  egg,  or 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


33 


ovary,  by  changing  temperature  of  the  air  or  salts 
in  the  water  in  which  they  ordinarily  live;  and 
since  butterflies  produce  young  with  greatly  modi- 
fied bodies  by  being  subjected  to  different  temper- 
atures, or  electric  currents,  can  it  be  disputed  that 
these  changes  affect  the  nervous  system  and 
excite,  or  frighten,  this  misunderstood  intellect 
and  the  frightened,  or  disturbed,  mind  in  time 
becomes  the  active  agency  in  marking  the  young, 
so  as  to  cause  the  change  observed? 

Many  have  accepted  variation  as  the  cause  of 
evolution.  It  is  sufficiently  convincing  to  the 
physical  materialist,  or  the  causual  thinker.  They 
point  to  the  fact  that  no  two  people  are  exactly 
alike.  The  same  condition  exists  throughout  the 
animal  world.  Yes,  it  is  even  true  that  no  two 
leaves  upon  a tree  are  exactly  the  same  and  even, 
of  all  the  grass  that  ever  grew  out  of  the  ground, 
no  two  blades  can  be  found  exact  in  every  detail. 
This  is  most  truly  wonderful  and  must  be  caused 
by  some  internal  struggle  in  every  direction  for 
release.  But  leave  this  idea  for  the  time  being 
while  the  physical  materialist  cites  you  to  teeth, 
hair,  scales  ana  feathers,  and  their  wonderful  les- 
sons in  the  evolution  of  variation.  A book  could 
be  written  on  a feather,  or  a fish  scale,  ana  not 
exhaust  the  material  on  the  subject,  and  when  it 
becomes  cumbersome  it  is  a record,  still  incom- 
plete, of  the  gradual  changes  in  a certain  line. 
But  it  could  not  tell  the  cause  of  this  universal 
variation;  the  inherent  energy  in  feathers,  or  in 
any  of  the  forms  of  life,  that  forces  the  variation. 


Moccasin  Flower— Insect  Catcher 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


35 


Consider  a worm  with  the  round  pits  of  sensitive 
skin  dotting  a line  on  its  sides  and  we  may  see 
tne  earliest  signs  of  eyes.  When  the  dots  have 
become  sufficiently  sensitive  to  strong  lights  and 
strong  shadows,  the  variations  in  every  direction 
leave  some  descendents  with  the  dots  more  sensi- 
tive, and  some  less  sensitive.  Those  more  sensi- 
tive recognize  the  aimmer  lights  and  shadows, 
and  these  in  turn,  because  of  this  slight,  but  ever 
present  variation,  leave  descendants  with  still 
more  sensitive  skin  pits,  until  in  a long  course  of 
time  they  become  eyes  such  as  we  have.  The 
blinder  species  lost  out  in  the  skirmish  and  the 
fittest  went  on  evolving.  They  claim  this  to  be 
true  of  strength  as  well  as  sight  and  in  every  di- 
rection of  development.  What  is  more,  this  asser- 
tion is  true,  as  far  as  we  see  the  physical  results 
of  variation,  excepting  that  it  is  not  equally  per- 
sistent in  every  direction.  But,  however  clearly 
we  may  observe  the  influence  of  climate,  and  other 
environments,  on  the  existing  tissue,  it  is  only  an 
obstacle  which  limits  or  mows  down,  checks,  and 
destroys  this  mighty  internal  force  of  variation. 
What  causes  this  universal  internal  force  through- 
out all  life  ? Bear  in  mind  I am  not  asking  for  the 
environment  that  cuts  it  down  with  frost,  or 
withers  it  with  heat,  but  I ask  for  the  force  that 
makes  the  variations  so  that  they  produce  speci- 
mems  which  are  capable  of  waging  a battle  with 
droughts  and  with  lighter  frosts.  No  one  has  ever 
told  us  what  that  force  is.  It  is  yet  unknown. 
Since  no  one  knows  what  this  life  principle  is  we 


Tree  Toud 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


37 


have  a right  to  postulate  for  further  scientific 
discovery.  My  postulation,  subject  to  further 
explanation,  is  that  this  force  of  variation  is  the 
result  of  the  force  of  life,  struggling  to  be  freed 
from  its  bondage  of  rest  and  sameness.  All  life 


Leaf  Locust 


is  activity,  on  the  go,  it  craves  a change.  This 
condition  indicates  a will  or  desire.  That  desire 
in  the  direction  of  least  resistance  survives  longer 
than  the  opposite  desire  or  variation.  In  the 
same  way  we  note  this  variation  of  plant  develop- 
ment, we  also  note  variation  in  the  tendencies, 
and  desires,  of  men  which  leads  them  into  all 
kinds  of  actions  and  undertakings,  no  two  of  whom 
think  or  do  everything  exactly  alike.  The  story 


38 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


of  evolution  will  never  be  unraveled  by  material- 
ists until  they  account  for  the  push  within  the 
trees,  and  plants,  and  grass,  and  animals,  and 
every  living  thing.  They  cannot  answer  this  by 
telling  us  of  impediments  that  stop  progress  in 
every  direction  excepting  the  right  one — prevail- 
ing one — but  what  have  they  to  say  of  the  force 
which  encounters  these  obstructions  ? Absolutely 
nothing. 

Some  criticism  may  be  offered  for  the  awful 
destruction  due  to  the  general  push  of  life  in  so 
many  directions.  On  this  earth  extreme  cold, 
extreme  heat,  extreme  moisture  and  extreme 
drought,  destroy  life  development  in  countless 
millions  of  directions.  But  we  must  remember 
the  principle  of  life  exists  not  for  our  little  planet 
alone : it  exists  for  millions  upon  millions  of 
others,  each  of  which  is  developed  differently 
from  every  other  according  to  the  same  principle 
of  nature.  Hence  we  see  the  wonderful  purpose- 
like work  of  nature,  which  annihilates  nothing, 
building  in  such  a way  that  every  kind  of  habita- 
tion shall  have  inhabitants. 


DEDUCTIONS  FROM  LAW  OF  EVOLUTION 

CHAPTER  VI. 


If  man  is  a product  of  evolution,  as  contended 
and,  as  I believe,  having  ti’aveled  this  long  road 
through  countless  ages,  developing  the  various 
new  senses,  emotions,  tastes,  and  desires,  now 
imbedded  in  the  human  body,  and  which  were 
not  possessed  by  his  oyster-like  ancestry,  we  may 
cei'tainly  continue  our  development  by  the  same 
ceaseless  process  of  evolution,  and  it  will  not  be 
unreasonable  to  conclude,  we  may  evolve  other 
senses,  or  the  power  of  existing  under  very  dif- 
ferent circumstances,  and  conditions. 

Scientists  contend  in  effect,  as  previously 
stated,  that  variation,  or  constant  desire,  environ- 
ment, and  natural  selection,  in  life  for  generation 
after  generation,  and  century  upon  century 
created  a tendency  in  the  offspring  toward  such 
desire  and  that  this  tendency  developed  into  the 
present  state  of  perfection.  The  abundance  of  evi- 
dence, which  warrants  such  a conclusion,  is  not 
here  presented,  but,  assuming  this  hypothesis  to 
be  true,  are  not  the  scientists  compelled  to  go  fur- 
ther in  their  theory  of  evolution  and  admit  that 
man  may  yet  progress  into  another  state  of  exist- 
ence ? Again,  assuming  all  this  to  be  true,  and  tak- 
ing into  consideration  the  fact  that  nearly  all  mem- 
bers of  the  human  race  have  for  generations  and 


40 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


centuries,  been  desiring,  praying  for,  and  believ- 
ing, that  they  possessed  a spiritual  and  eternal 
life,  or  fearing  gods,  idols  and  superstitions  (which 
may  have  a similar  effect) , can  the  scientist  deny 
the  assertion  that  man  has  already  evolved  a 
purely  mental,  or  spiritual,  existence  which  will 
continue  after  the  disintegration  of  the  body? 
If  this  be  true  we  have  the  possibility  of  eternal 
life  conceded.  Our  next  steps  is  to  argue  its  prob- 
ability. 

Assuming  that  the  Creator  has  made  man  by 
a process  of  evolution,  how  much  more  have  we 
to  hope  for  after  having  understood  this  process  ? 
This  process  has  caused  the  original  uncontented 
worms  that  lived  and  died  as  worms  to  leave  as 
representatives  other  striving  worms,  that  in  a 
long  course  of  time  developed  into  larvae  bursting 
into  gorgeous  butterflies.  Considering  this,  have 
not  the  human  family,  now  so  highly  developed,  a 
marvelous  hope  of  eternity  under  the  demonstra- 
ble process  of  evolution  which  is  more  divine-like 
than  any  miracle  theory  which  places  a limit  upon 
the  hopes  of  man  ? The  present  ideal  state  of  spir- 
itual life  is  not  too  much  to  expect  even  now,  but 
according  to  the  process  of  evolution  where  will 
those  who  still  desire  to  progress  be  halted  ? 

In  this  discussion  I care  not  to  follow  that 
question,  and  perhaps  could  not  any  more  success- 
fully than  I could  trace  the  origin  of  life  back  to 
that  smallest  speck,  endowed  with  intelligent 
motion,  which  some  scientists  assert  must  be  the 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


41 


origin  of  life,  but  fail  to  explain,  or  prove,  how  that 
originated.  The  original  beginning  of  motion, 
space,  matter,  and  intelligence,  are  simply  beyond 
the  present  conception  of  the  human  mind,  and  it 
is  no  answer  to  say  that  life  is  merely  matter, 
or  chemical  action,  and  that  if  matter  was  not 
created  it  always  existed.  This  is  not  proving 
anything,  but  only  guessing  and  the  guess  is  no 
more  unreasonable  than  to  credit  what  is  beyond 
our  comprehension  to  the  Creator  and  say  that 
God  must  have  ordained  it. 

Philosophy  teaches  that  any  object  in  motion 
would  continue  its  course  forever  unless  diverted 
by  attraction  or  other  impediment.  Under  such 
a principle,  what  could  have  stopped  the  will  of 
God?  Merely  because  no  intelligent  theory  of 
how  matter  could  have  originated  out  of  abso- 
lutely nothing  has  ever  been  presented  for  human 
understanding  is  no  reason  for  saying  “matter 
must  have  always  existed.”  Furthermore,  if  we 
were  guessing  as  stated,  it  is  more  reasonable  to 
guess  that  intelligence  first  existed  and  always 
was,  and  that  matter  came  into  being  from  intel- 
ligence, because  no  counter  will  existed  to  stop 
the  divine  desire  for  this  transformation. 

If  space  and  time,  like  matter,  are  incompre- 
hensible, as  Herbert  Spencer  contends  in  his  First 
Principles,  because  we  cannot  trace  or  divide  theni 
to  their  ultimate  limits,  or  because  the  division, 
and  redivision,  of  particles  of  matter,  and  the 
pursuit  of  time,  and  space,  on  and  on,  why  was 


42 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


not  Kant  right,  though  criticized  by  Spencer, 
where  he  says  “Space  and  time  are  forms  of  the 
Intellect  ?’ 

What  is  time  but  motion?  If  we  had  no 
movements  of  the  planets,  no  birth,  no  decay  and 
everything  stood  still,  we  would  have  no  time. 
Time  would  have  disappeared.  The  past  and  the 
future  join  together  so  closely  that  there  is  no 
present.  Time  indicates  movement  and  is  as  dis- 
tinct from  the  present  state,  as  motion  and  rest 
are  distinct  from  each  other.  Therefore  if  time 
is  motion  or  progress;  if  motion  and  progress  is 
life;  and  if  life  is  mind,  or  intellect,  is  not  time 
then  a purely  mental  creation? 

Matter  is  divided  into  particles,  step  by  step, 
down  to  what  we  once  thought  was  its  final  solu- 
tion, the  atom.  But  we  may  go  on  from  the  mol- 
ecule to  the  atom  and  on  to  a point  where  one 
hundred  thousand  electrons  are  required  merely 
to  reach  across  an  atom  and  yet  have  the  same 
comparative  space  between  them  that  there  is 
between  worlds.  By  using  the  imagination,  or 
intelligence,  you  may  carry  it  on  to  the  etheron 
and  on  even  beyond  this,  dividing  and  redividing, 
exactly  as  you  can  wearily  trace  time  back,  back 
into  the  past,  until  you  find  it  was  a product  of 
the  ever-present  mind. 

When  matter  is  divided  and  redivided  and 
reaches  the  limit  of  comprehension  it  will  be  made 
up  of  particles  so  small  and  so  thin,  so  devoid  of 
length,  and  breadth,  and  thickness,  that  you  may 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


43 


indeed  say  that  trillions  of  quintrillions  of 
thoughts,  or  desires,  for  some  concrete  realiza- 
tion have  been  pressed  together  and  built  up  or 
reduced  into  matter.  Why  may  not  this  sub- 
stance be  concentrated  thought,  or  the  ash  of 
ideas  ? 

But  before  we  reach  that  state  we  must 
remember  that  just  one  microscopic  cell  of  an 
organ  of  the  body — the  liver — is  said  to  contain 
64,000,000,000  molecules.  A further  division 
shows  300,000,000,000,000  atoms  in  this  cell  and 
I should  judge  the  number  of  electrons  in  this 
one  miscroscopic  cell  would  be  over  1,000,000,000,- 
000,000,000.  This  calculation  being  from  only  one 
cell,  it  is  probable  that  an  attempt  to  multiply  this 
number  by  the  number  of  cells  in  the  human  body 
would  make  a person  dizzy  speculating  from  where 
all  these  were  gathered.  If  there  are  about  ten 
billion  cells  in  the  human  body  there  are  probably 
electrons  in  about  the  following  staggering  num- 
ber : 20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

As  time  and  as  matter  are  traceable  to  mind, 
so  likewise  is  space,  a real  expanse  without  limit 
or  bounds  to  its  length,  breath  or  thickness,  filled 
with  great  suns  and  planets  of  mind-created 
matter,  also  traceable  to  the  same  source.  It  has 
no  definite  bounds,  because  it  is  likewise  a creation 
of  that  eternal  mind  of  which  we  are  but  electron- 
fractions  and  which  goes  on  creating  more  space 
without  limit,  as  fast,  as  far,  as  thought  can 
travel.  The  limits  and  confines  of  all  matter. 


44 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


space  and  time  seem  to  be  traceable  to  mind.  It 
all  seems  to  resolve  itself  into  mentality  which  has 
no  limitations.  If  there  is  mentality  moving  or 
working  it  emanated  from  some  source  or  it  could 
not  be  going  somewhere.  That  source  is  a su- 
preme central  intelligence  from  which  all  har- 
monious things  were  thought.  That  mind  from 
which  all  has  evolved,  I choose  to  call  Divine — I 
recognize  as  God’s,  and  all  things  of  God’s  or 
man’s  conception  are  but  the  evolution  or  the  in- 
harmonious disintegration  of  divine  purposes. 

In  order  not  to  be  considered  an  adherent  of 
a class  who  insist  that  there  is  no  matter,  I most 
earnestly  urge  that  because  all  matter  must  have 
been  the  product  of  mind,  does  not  signify  that  a 
rock  falling  upon  the  head  is  not  a rock  and  is 
merely  mind.  Because  the  particles  of  the  con- 
struction of  a rock  may  have  once  been  the  prod- 
uct of  mind,  does  not  justify  us  in  saying  it  is  not 
now  matter.  Neither  can  we  determine  into  what 
form,  or  state,  it  may  later  be  converted. 

After  redivision,  and  reduction,  of  matter 
into  the  dizzy  distance  of  calculations,  and  after 
passing  one  limit  after  another  with  modern 
inventions  we  will  at  some  time  reach  the  last 
limit,  or  dividing  line,  between  mind  and  matter. 
This  feeling  expressed  of  late  about  mind  and 
matter  being  so  closely  related  may  derive  much 
of  its  force  from  consideration  of  color  and  sound. 

Black  is  no  color  because  the  so-called  black 
substance  absorbs  all  rays  of  light.  White  is  all 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


45 


colors  because  the  substance  reflects  all  rays  of 
the  light,  absorbing  none  of  them.  The  diffei’ent 
colors  of  the  spectroscope  are  reflections  of  light 
not  absorbed,  broken,  or  disturbed,  so  that  they 
travel  back  in  longer  or  shorter  vibrations  or 
waves,  producing  with  these  changes  the  effect 
of  the  different  hues.  These  waves  of  light,  so 
deflected,  produce  what  the  eye  perceives  to  be 
colors.  All  longer  waves  below  the  human  scope 
of  vision  or  shorter  waves  above  this  scope  have 
the  possibility  of  conveying  other  color  sensations, 
when  eyes  are  discovered  or  created  to  see  them — 
if  indeed  insects  and  microscopic  life  do  not  have 
a vision  of  the  ultra  short  waves. 

Sound  is  the  name  of  another  recognition  of 
vibrations  or  waves  that  the  human  ear  catches, 
if  not  too  slow  or  too  rapid.  These  rapid  vibra- 
tions which  man  could  not  sense  are  produced  and 
interpreted  by  the  lower  orders  of  life.  Those 
above  the  human  range — perhaps  the  whirling  of 
other  worlds — would  terrify  us  if  we  had  ears  to 
compare  them  with  the  greatest  vibrations  that 
now  impress  us. 

If  there  are  vibrations  of  some  energy  which 
produce  matter,  animal  or  vegetable,  hard  or  soft, 
substantial  or  rotten,  they  are  no  less  wonderful 
to  me  than  the  basis  of  our  gorgeous  colors  and 
musical  sounds.  A color  looks  as  real  to  the  un- 
educated as  a piece  of  wood,  in  my  ignorance  of 
that  substance,  looks  real  to  me.  There  is  no 
abiding  color  in  any  substance,  as  we  discover  in 


46 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


lowering  and  turning  on  the  light.  A bright  light 
IS  required  to  bring  out,  or  produce  colors.  In  a 
similar  way,  it  may  be  said  life,  a stronger  and 
more  rapidly  vibrating  element  than  light,  brings 
out  and  produces  matter  for  more  or  less  enduring 
periods. 

After  resolving  mind  and  matter  to  the 
farthest  limit  in  its  genesis,  it  does  not  seem 
strange  to  think,  and  pursue  the  thought  for  in- 
vestigation, that  matter  is  concentrated  particles 
of  thought  embodied  in  realization  or  some  chang- 
ing form  of  its  disintegration.  It  may  be  the 
infinitesimal  mind  of  one  man,  or  even  the 
minds  of  many,  have  no  such  force.  But  a strong 
supreme  mind,  which  all  creation  tends  to  prove 
does  exist,  may  have  cast  off  such  particles  of 
thought,  which  become  concentrated  in  matter. 

This  pause  is  made,  not  to  prove  the  absolute 
truth  of  such  speculation,  too  far  in  the  future, 
or  too  far  in  the  past,  but  more  for  the  purpose 
of  illustrating  the  narrow  compass  of  the  human 
mind,  and  arriving  at  the  thought  that  we  at 
the  present  time,  can  no  more  conceive  nor  enjoy 
a state  of  existence  above  the  angelic,  than  an 
oyster  of  the  Palaeozoic  age  could  have  conceived 
of  such  a heaven  as  man  hopes  to  inhabit,  or  exist 
therein.  Such  an  attempted  conception  is  like 
attempting  to  touch  an  odor,  or  see  a sound,  or 
hear  a color  or  smell  a thought. 

Taking  it  for  granted  that  man  has  evolved 
from  the  very  simplest  form  of  life  which  the 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


47 


human  mind  can  comprehend,  admitting  that  we 
do  not  know  from  what  that  “single”  celled  form 
of  life  sprang,  and  we  are  obliged  to  conclude 
that  such  wonderful  development  has  taken  place 
by  some  force  which,  from  the  absence  of  any 
other  name,  we  can  better  understand  by  the  term 
“evolution.”  In  reaching  this  consideration  it  is 
not  concluded  that  all  the  types  of  life  have  devel- 
oped in  a direct  line  like  the  steps  of  a ladder  one 
above  the  other.  But  it  is  contended  that  it  was 
done  in  countless  directions  more  like  the  branches 
of  a tree,  excepting  that  some  types  have  devel- 
oped to  a higher  degree  and  then  perhaps  des- 
cended into  degenerates.  The  main  branch,  in 
some  instances  becoming  extinct,  while  other 
branches  from  these  may  have  again  ascended. 
But,  at  all  times,  each  specimen  is  inhabited  and 
directed  by  an  intelligence  striving  for  something. 


MAN  ANALYZED 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Studying  man  today  in  his  highest  state  of 
perfection,  what  do  we  find  as  a result?  His 
mental  self  dominating  his  physical  self ; yet 
he  is  treated  by  physicians  as  a purely  physical 
being.  He  contracts  disease  oftener  by  fear  and 
mental  suggestion  than  by  contact,  whether  this 
suggestion  originates,  or  merely  creates  a ten- 
dency, which  invites  the  cause  of  the  disease.  On 
the  other  hand,  a cheerful  disposition,  and  opti- 
mism has  cured  where  medicine  failed.  Mes- 
merism, or  hypnotism,  has  been  shown  to  be  an 
influence  which  may  be  exerted  by  one  individual 
over  the  mind  of  another.  It  naturally  follows 
that  this  influence  is  also  exerted  over  the  body 
controlled  by  a mind  subservient  to  the  mind 
ol’  the  hypnotic  operator.  If  by  hypnotism,  sug- 
gestions of  fear,  pain,  and  joy  are  excited,  may 
not  fear  and  pain  be  so  forcibly  suggested  as  to 
result  in  death,  ultimately  if  not  immediately? 
Such  was  the  case  of  the  felon  at  Rome  who  was 
slightly  lacerated  and  made  to  listen  to  dripping 
water,  after  being  told  it  was  his  blood  and  caused 
to  hear  feigned  statements  as  to  his  sinking  con- 
dition, and  who  died  from  this  suggestion  as 
quickly  as  if  he  had  bled  to  death.  It  was  the 
same  with  another  experiment  on  a felon  who 
was  condemned  to  death  and  informed  by  the 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


49 


jailer  that  as  he  was  soon  to  be  executed  they 
could  as  well  place  him  in  a cell  where  a prisoner 
had  recently  died  of  small-pox.  Although  this 
was  a falsehood,  as  no  one  in  the  prison  had  died 
of  small-pox,  the  prisoner  so  deceived  actually  con- 
tracted the  disease  after  the  lapse  of  the  usual 
time  from  contact,  and  died.  Whether  these  par- 
ticular reports  so  generally  mentioned  may  be 
verified  and  accounted  for  or  not,  abundance  of 
others  well  founded  may  be  substituted.  Why 
should  we  not  find  them,  for  every  healthy  body 
carries  in  its  system  germs  of  nearly  every 
disease  ? These  germs  are  waiting  to  take  advan- 
tage of  any  debility,  whether  from  a cold,  or  a 
mere  suggestion,  that  may  weaken  the  system. 

It  is  also  true  that  persons  may  hypnotize 
themselves  or  produce  an  abnormal  imagination, 
by  crystal  gazing,  to  dispel  recent  or  strong  im- 
pressions, rendering  the  brain  sensitive,  and  recep- 
tive to  suggestion  on  the  same  principle  that  the 
ordinary  man  adopts  who  naturally  closes  his 
eyes,  and  holds  his  head  in  his  hands  when  trying 
to  think.  Of  course  it  is  a very  delicate  influence. 
But  oh ! what  an  awful  impediment  to  this  delicate 
influence  of  soul  development,  is  the  suggestion 
of  funerals  and  graveyards ! 

We  know  of  the  remarkable  influence  called 
hypnotism,  upon  both  the  body  and  the  mind.  We 
know  that  the  heart  of  the  sensitive  subject  may 
be  reduced  by  mere  suggestion,  to  the  lowest  pul- 
sations— a condition  impossible  in  the  normal 
state;  we  know  that  he  may  be  made  insensible 


50 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


to  pain  under  conditions  which  the  normal  body 
could  not  endure  in  silence,  or,  conversely,  by  sug- 
gestion make  his  epidermis  as  sensitive  to  touch 
as  the  cornea  of  his  eye.  It  is  true  that  he  may 
be  caused  to  suffer  pain  from  mere  suggested  in- 
juries; the  sight  and  taste  may  be  augmented, 
suppressed,  or  deceived.  Bear  in  mind  that  this 
state  of  intelligence  is  manifested  when  the  nor- 
mal condition  of  the  brain  appears  to  be  at  a very 
low  ebb,  or  abnormally  at  rest,  and  even  with  but 
the  faintest  circulation  of  the  blood — an  unpropi- 
tious  condition  for  the  functioning  of  ideas,  if 
they  are  in  fact  material  and  originate  in  the 
brain.  Yet  such  a “subject,”  in  this  induced  sleep, 
will,  under  extraneous  mental  stimulation, — (i.  e., 
suggestion) , tell  the  most  wonderful  things  of  the 
remote  past  when  questioned ; and  it  is  claimed  by 
Mr.  C.  C.  Redwood,  of  Omaha,  (whom  I know  to 
be  a thorough  student  of  hypnosis,)  that  such  a 
“subject”  may,  while  in  this  condition,  be  taught 
in  a few  hours  prodigious  lessons  even  in  lan- 
guages foreign  to  him,  that  he  could  not  learn 
through  his  normal  brain-functioning  in  years. 
Yet  all  this  education,  (in  our  present  state  of 
knowledge,)  is  useless  to  the  subject  when  re- 
leased from  the  hypnotic  spell.  It  is  said  that 
even  the  insane  may  be  hypnotized,  and  while  in 
this  condition  will  talk  as  rationally  as  they  did 
before  becoming  insane;  but  when  released,  they 
are  still  insane.  These  things  indicate  that  mind, 
or  thought,  is  not  secreted  by  the  brain,  as  bile 
is  secreted  by  the  liver,  but  that  it  is  something 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


51 


which  may  function  while  the  brain  is  dormant,  or 
diseased;  and  when  this  latent,  potential  intelli- 
gence does  so  function,  it  is  more  rapid  than  when 
manifested  through  conscious  or  voluntary  action 
of  the  brain. 


DEDUCTIONS  FROM  ANALYSIS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Now  then,  if  man  is  such  a mental  being, 
susceptible  to  such  remote  influences,  which  we 
have  merely  pointed  to,  and  having  evolved  from 
such  an  humble  and  simple  starting  point,  chiefly 
by  reason  of  mental  desire,  should  not  consider- 
able importance  attach  to  the  numerous  Biblical 
injunctions  that  it  is  necessary  to  have  faith  to 
have  eternal  life?  By  constant  faith,  desire,  or 
prayer,  as  you  may  choose  to  call  it,  man  has 
evolved  to  what  he  is  today. 

It  required  persistent  thought,  faith,  desire, 
and  practice,  of  man’s  ancestors  for  thousands  of 
generations,  studying  shadows  on  the  more  sensi- 
tive pigment  cells  to  produce  the  eye.  We  may 
think  ourselves  up,  or  down.  By  thought,  and 
persistent  practice,  we  may  evolve  higher,  or  de- 
generate lower.  By  disuse,  and  mental  and  phy- 
sical abandonment,  we  have  shortened  the  ap- 
pendage to  the  spinal  column,  and  changed  the 
shape  of  the  foot,  while  other  forms  of  life  have 
closed  their  eyes  in  their  sockets. 

If  some  of  us  are  satisfied  to  remain  phys- 
ical matter,  and  go  through  life  suggesting  to 
ourselves  that  when  certain  physical  calamities 
occur  we  shall  die,  and  mentally  lose  conscious- 
ness, and  cease  to  exist,  it  is  reasonable  to  be- 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


53 


lieve  that  we  may  obey  the  suggestion  and  either 
become  absolutely  exterminated  by  being  sep- 
arated, and  reduced  to  primary  elements,  or  in  a 
state  of  coma,  if  permitted  to  continue  as  an  en- 
tity. Some  may  stop  to  mark  the  progi’ess  of 
nature  and  remain  men  with  mere  rudimentary 
souls.  Countless  forms  of  life  have  representa- 
tives in  the  living  natural  history  of  today  who 
stopped  contented  with  what  they  were,  to  mark 
the  pages  of  the  progress  of  life. 

Suppose,  for  illustration,  the  caterpillar, 
which  crawls  over  the  ground,  now  and  then  rais- 
ing its  head  and  the  fore  part  of  its  body  to  reach 
out  in  space,  as  if  endeavoring  to  float  off,  should 
reject  the  instincts  of  the  future  butterfly  life, 
and  cease  to  desire  any  change  and  neglect  to 
prepare  for  its  state  of  metamorphosis  by  resting 
for  its  cellular  change,  but  continued  to  crawl  and 
wriggle  and  revel  in  green  foliage,  would  not  all 
that  its  ancestors  had  done  for  it  in  evolving  a 
higher  life  be  lost? 

With  our  present  knowledge  of  the  power  of 
mind  in  evolution  is  it  not  better  to  have  faith, 
and  a desire  and  hope  for  a future  life,  whether 
as  Methodist,  Baptist,  or  any  other  protestant, 
or  Catholic,  Mohammedan,  Jew,  Spiritualist,  Uni- 
versalist,  or  of  any  other  religion,  and  believe 
that  regardless  of  what  physical  calamities  may 
occur,  the  mental  consciousness  will  not  and  can- 
not be  destroyed?  Any  religion  is  better  than 
the  dangerous  condition  of  none.  By  hoping  for 


54 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


?.  continuity  of  life,  and  believing  we  have  the 
same,  may  we  not  enjoy  such  possibilities  of  the 
great  unlimited  divine-like  process  of  evolution? 

That  there  may  be  a beneficial  result  from 
a strong  and  abiding  faith  in  an  eternal,  and 
spiritual  life,  is  an  inference  deducible  from  our 
present  understanding  of  the  process  of  evolu- 
tion and  recent  studies  of  mental  man.  There- 
fore, I reiterate  that,  since  we  have  physical 
proof  in  the  wonderful  progress  we  have  made 
we  must  conclude  that  such  a future  life  is  pos- 
sible according  to  the  laws  of  nature  and  we 
cannot  deny  the  assertion  that  a soul  has  already 
developed  in  man. 

If  by  evolution  an  eye  has  been  produced 
from  a cell,  or  pigment  of  matter,  may  we  not 
conclude  that  by  the  same  process  a soul  may 
have  been  produced  from  a spark  of  intelligence  ? 

The  basis  for  such  an  assumption  does  not 
rest  primarily  upon  a belief  in  the  existence  of 
flod,  but  it  rests  simply  upon  even  the  ignor- 
ant obedience  of  these  divine-like  laws.  We,  in 
fact,  have  come  up  from  a stage  of  life  which 
was  too  low  to  recognize  the  existence  of  a God, 
but  nevertheless  we  came  in  obedience  to  His 
laws,  struggling',  and  desiring  for  something 
higher,  until  the  final  descendants  of  this  energy 
stand,  in  the  boasted  perfection  of  the  manhood  of 
today.  However,  as  man  learned  more,  it  was 
natural  to  progress  faster  and  in  time  made  to 
feel  that  he  could  not  deny  that  there  is  a God. 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


55 


I do  not  dispute  that  this  knowledge  of  such 
progress  would  be  a support  and  a corroboration 
of  the  Bible.  But  the  Bible  question  I am  not 
discussing  at  this  time.  I am  only  discussing 
scientific  facts,  and  am  therefore  contending  that 
it  has  not  been  essential  in  early  development  to 
see,  and  become  acquainted  with  God.  It  has 
not  been  essential  to  know  of  the  first  causes,  or 
to  decide  whether  matter  always  existed,  or 
whether  intelligence,  or  life,  was  the  product  of 
matter,  or  matter  the  product  of  life  to  prove 
the  immortality  of  the  soul.  I do  contend  that, 
from  the  earliest  beginning  of  which  we  can  con- 
ceive, life  has  progressed  far  enough  to  prove  that 
the  present  ideal  state  of  a spiritual  existence  is 
not  inconsistent  with  the  immutable  laws  of  na- 
ture termed  evolution. 


HAVE  WE  A SOUL  NOW? 

CHAPTEE  IX. 

I do  not  know  exactly  from  what,  or  whence, 
man’s  soul,  or  life,  comes.  However,  I think  I 
can  figure  out  the  direction  from  which  it  comes, 
and  can  distinguish  the  conveyance,  or  the  mode 
of  coming,  and  will  try  and  do  so  in  a later 
chapter.  I do  not  claim  that  the  individual  soul 
built  up,  as  it  is  in  a living  man,  has  been 
evolving  through  ages,  and  without  memory  of 
the  past,  and  not  positively  knowing,  I do  not 
pretend  to  deny  any  other  theories  upon  the  or- 
igin  of  the  soul.  I believe  that  theory  which 
may  be  best  fortified  by  reason  is  the  nearest 
right.  However,  I do  contend  that  it  is  as  rea- 
sonable to  believe  that  an  individual  intelligence 
may  be  created,  or  brought  to  self  consciousness 
today  as  10,000,000  years  ago.  The  soul  may  be 
created,  for  worldly  existence,  coeval  with  the 
body  in  which  it  dwells,  and  be  as  independent 
of  the  source  of  its  creation  as  the  body  of  man 
becomes  independent  of  the  body  of  his  mother. 

You  are  invited  to  look  forward  to  this  prop- 
osition, in  connection  with  what  I am  saying. 

If  everything  comes  from  something  else,  as 
we  trace  them  backwards,  species  become  elimin- 
ated and  those  left  are  less  complex.  If  we  trace 
all  life  back  far  enough,  I may  say,  it  would  appear 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


57 


less  physical,  or  with  fewer  senses  and  sense  vari- 
ations to  appreciate  the  vast  physical  effects.  Go- 
ing on  back  further  and  further  we  may  realize  a 
time  when  we  may  recognize  an  entry  into  the 
physical  existence.  If  we  recognize  that  every- 
thing comes  from  something,  we  must  by  analogy, 
recognize  that  if  we  approach  the  physical  exis- 
tence as  a new  abode  (and  then  tarry  as  we  do 
here)  it  must  have  been  from  somewhere  else,  be- 
cause it  could  not  have  been  from  nowhere.  There 
could  be  no  such  place,  or  state,  as  nowhere. 
There  was,  of  necessity,  a metaphysical  before 
there  was  a physical,  from  which  all  physical 
things  evolved.  We  all  carry  some  proofs  of  our 
approach  to  the  physical  from  the  metaphysical, 
as  later  shown.  The  soul,  an  alien  here,  must  have 
been  born  abroad.  However,  I realize  that  this 
proposition  is  advanced  ahead  of  its  real  place  in 
this  discussion  and  recognize  that  I will  not  be 
understood  in  this  until  a second  reading  of  the 
volume. 

There  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  every 
man’s  life  existed  previous  to  his  present  human 
existence,  perhaps  by  being  a subconscious  part  of 
a previous  mentality.  If  there  is  not  some  reason 
in  this  why  do  small  children  so  generally  imagine 
that  they  have  always  existed  ? I shall  later  dis- 
cuss this. 

Not  entirely  dissimilar  from  this  we  have  low 
orders  of  human  life  permiting  their  minds  to  be 
entirely  directed  by  their  bodies.  Every  thought. 


58 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


and  every  act,  is  directed  towards  obedience  to 
some  physical  sense  or  appetite  of  the  body.  The 
mind  becomes  a slave  to  the  body,  as  we  observe 
throughout  the  animal  kingdom.  This  obedience 
becomes  known  as  a habit,  which  the  mind  exper- 
iences great  difficulty  in  breaking.  Such  an 
effort  indicates  there  is  a hidden  personality  in 
every  man.  He  wants  his  body  to  do  and  be  dif- 
ferent, but  is  often  disappointed  with  himself.  He 
sometimes  kills  his  body — a suicide.  But  if  he 
masters  his  body  and  his  habits,  if  he  shows  to 
himself  that  he  is  honest  and  just,  although  there 
is  no  one  else  to  know  of  it,  he  begins  to  feel  that 
he  is  distinct  from  his  body,  which  is  a mere  ser- 
vant. Going  a little  further,  even  the  mind  is 
made  the  servant  of  something  which  may  control 
both  the  mind  and  the  body.  What  is  it  that 
finally  arouses  and  asserts  itself  in  a thought- 
wandering boy,  and  directs  the  mind  so  that  it  will 
not  work  upon  some  subjects  and  will  reason  upon 
others?  It  is  a consciousness  and  a power  which 
is  superior  even  to  the  mind.  It  is  the  man  part 
of  consciousness — his  soul.  But  how  can  we  show 
it  aside  from  the  great  fact  that  we  feel  that  we 
know  it?  It  can  not  be  shown  in  one  statement, 
by  one  instrument  or  a single  experiment,  but  a 
great  collection  of  deductions,  all  pointing  in  that 
direction,  may  be  stronger  to  many  people  than 
just  one  physical  demonstration. 

Every  avenue  of  life  is  being  searched  for  its 
secrets,  every  abiding  place  is  being  ransacked. 
Who  has  not  tried  to  penetrate  the  mysteries  of 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


59 


the  fragrant  rose,  or  of  the  gorgeous  peony?  We 
have  cut  into  the  buds  and  torn  them  apart  to 
learn  their  secrets,  with  almost  as  much  disap- 
pointment as  a child,  that  cuts  open  the  head  of 
a drum  to  learn  the  mystery  of  its  sound.  But 
one  thing  is  true.  We  find  that  although  the  fra- 
grance, and  color,  have  not  then  appeared,  the 
leaves  and  form  are  there,  diminishing  in  perfec- 
tion as  younger  buds  are  examined.  We  may  trace 
this  design  back  to  the  stem,  when  it  was  a shoot, 
and  on  down  in  the  root,  and  then  reason  it  back 
still  further,  to  a cell  in  another  root,  and  further 
back  to  a point  so  small,  so  infinitisimal,  as  to  pass 
the  realms  of  matter,  and  on  to  some  design,  or 
purpose,  of  intelligence.  If  there  is  a push,  or  pur- 
pose, in  a flower,  is  there  not  a greater  force,  or 
soul,  in  man  ? 

One  thing  is  certain,  and  that  is,  that  we  have 
a soul  right  now,  for  a soul  is  that  self-conscious- 
ness of  life  we  feel  upon  every  occasion;  that 
strong  and  independent  feeling  which  separates 
every  man  from  other  men ; that  force  which  com- 
bats bodily  death ; that  reserve  which  causes  man 
to  look  at  his  hands  as  though  they  were  mere 
tools ; that  essence  which  is  moved  by  sweet 
strains  of  music  and  tender  words  from  those  we 
love.  Why,  the  soul  is  the  man,  and  what  is  left 
is  the  corpse. 

We  have  occasionally  looked  into  the  cold,  un- 
natural expressionless  features  of  some  deceased 
friend.  That  which  is  observed  to  be  lost  and 
causes  the  change  is  so  shockingly  absent  that  we 


60 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


instictively  know  the  spirit  has  flown.  We  can  no 
longer  communicate  with  it,  because  our  language 
has  always  been  a physical  sense  language  and  the 
spirit  we  knew  has  deserted  the  body  with  which 
it  spoke  and  looked  upon  us  in  conveying  the  senti- 
ments of  an  innermost  soul. 

We  have  often  secretly  doubted  the  existence 
of  a conscious  soul  of  one  deceased  because  we 
cannot  see,  or  hear,  or  touch  it.  But  why  doubt 
merely  on  this  account,  because  no  human  being 
ever  saw,  or  touched,  or  heard,  the  soul  of  a living 
person.  We  know  it  only  by  what  it  directs  the 
body  to  say  or  do. 

The  life,  the  love,  the  grace  and  character, 
mind  and  intelligence  which  you  know  and  learn 
to  love  in  a friend  are  finer  than  human  sight  and 
hidden  from  all  human  senses.  We  know  our 
friends  by  the  things  they  cause  their  tongues  to 
say  and  the  things  they  cause  their  hands  to  do. 
In  life  friendship’s  unusual  statements  occasion- 
ally seem  strange  and  cause  us  to  look  with  as- 
tonishment until  a twinkle,  or  a wink  of  the  eye, 
reveals  the  humor  of  the  same  old  soul. 

There  is  no  more  mystery  about  the  soul  of 
a departed  being  than  there  is  about  the  soul  of 
a living  being.  That  which  we  knew  and  associ- 
ated with  and  loved  in  life  is  not  a part  of  the 
corpse  it  leaves.  But  the  soul  is  all  those  grander 
qualities  that  direct  a man,  or  an  army  of  men; 
that  make  the  world  tremble,  or  soothe  a troubled 
heart;  it  is  everything  the  man  ever  was,  except- 
ing the  cold,  useless  and  rejected  corpse. 


SOUL  INDEPENDENT  OF  THE  BODY. 

CHAPTEE  X. 

Perhaps  it  would  also  be  interesting  to  con- 
sider whether  or  not  the  consciousness,  intelli- 
gence, or  soul,  of  a man  can  possibly  exist  without 
a body. 

We  are  certainly  able  to  prove  that  no  par- 
ticular part  of  a man’s  body  is  his  soul,  for  every 
part  of  a man’s  brain  and  body  has  been  removed 
and  destroyed,  part  in  one  man,  part  in  another 
and  consciousness  retained.  The  individuality  and 
consciousness  would  remain  when  by  brain  injury 
most  of  the  body  would  be  paralyzed. 

It  would  be  as  difficult  to  demonstrate  to  us 
mortal  creatures  that  the  consciousness,  or  soul, 
of  a totally  destroyed  body,  incapable  of  speaking, 
moving  or  feeling,  continued  independently  of 
every  part  of  its  body,  as  it  would  be  impossible 
for  a rose  (a  form  of  life  possessing  a certain  de- 
gree of  intelligence,  but  being  devoid  of  the  usual 
senses  with  which  man  is  blessed),  to  understand 
or  teach  a lily  that  such  beings  as  men  exist  to 
care  for,  nurture,  protect,  or  destroy  them.  It  is 
also  said  that  if  man  had  neither  feeling  nor  sight, 
and  in  walking  came  in  contact  with  such  ob- 
stacles as  trees,  he  would  be  veered  off,  without 
knowing  how,  or  why,  his  course  was  changed,  or 
being  able  to  explain  it.  Some  sixth,  or  seventh, 
sense  may  in  the  future  be  developed  to  explain 
many  of  the  very  curious  actions  of  men  in  their 


62 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


changeable  opinions,  in  their  daily  walks  and  avo- 
cations of  life,  which  we  do  not  now  understand. 

These  illustrations  serve  to  show  that  if  man 
possessed  a soul  independently  of  his  body,  it 
would  be  almost,  if  not  entirely,  impossible  to  ex- 
plain its  existence  by  mortal  language,  or  mortal 
comparison,  or  in  fact,  to  understand  the  same. 
All  we  are  able  to  do  is  to  make  deductions  by 
reasoning  backward,  and  forward,  from  that 
which  we  do  know  and  therefore  all  arguments 
upon  this  subject  are  bound  to  appear  somewhat 
vague  at  first,  because  everything  must  be  estab- 
lished in  the  abstract. 

If  the  intelligence  of  man  is  dependent  upon 
matter,  which  is  entirely  displaced  every  seven 
years,  why  is  it  that  any  two  old  people  upon  meet- 
ing after  forty  years’  separation,  revive  a memory 
of  little  incidents  never  re-impressed  upon  their 
various  new  sets  of  brain  cells  by  subsequent  and 
intermediate  thoughts  since  originally  made? 
May  it  not  be  a fact  that  impressions  are  stamped 
upon  something  more  durable  than  such  tablets  of 
decaying  matter?  If  a memory  will  remain  al- 
though the  entire  set  of  brain  cells  has  been  grad- 
ually displaced,  time  after  time,  may  it  not  still 
remain  in  the  same  receptacle  if  the  brain  should 
be  quickly  removed  ? 

We  have  so  frequently  seen  newspaper  ac- 
counts of  serious  brain  injury  with  persistence  of 
life,  that  I do  not  feel  that  it  is  out  of  place  to  in- 
sert the  following,  merely  for  its  value  in  sugges- 
tion: 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


63 


‘^Can  a man  live  with  faculties  unimpaired  after  a 
large  portion  of  his  brain  has  been  removed,  or  with  no 
brain  at  all?  Several  recent  cases  are  leading  scientists 
to  answer  the  question  in  the  affirmative,  however  much 
such  an  answer  would  have  been  scouted  a little  while  ago. 

There  is  now  in  the  service  of  Dr.  Daniel  Moliere, 
surgeon  in  the  Hotel  Dieu  Hospital  Lyons,  a capable  little 
fellow  of  twelve  years,  who  is  apparently  in  perfect 
health.  Some  time  ago,  in  sliding  down  the  balusters,  he 
fell  and  fractured  his  skull  upon  a chandelier  below.  As 
a bowl  of  brain  matter  oozed  from  the  wound,  no  hope 
was  entertained  of  his  recovery.  He  lay  in  a coma  for  ten 
days,  in  fact,  but  upon  awakening  began  to  improve  and 
is  at  present  apparently  sound  in  mind  and  body. 

The  famous  surgeon,  M.  Destot,  comes  forward  with 
an  incident  as  striking.  It  is  the  case  of  a stone  mason, 
who  in  mounting  a large  cornice  was  so  seriously  wounded 
that  he  lost  the  left  frontal  bone  and  the  left  frontal  lobe 
of  the  brain.  After  twelve  days  of  unconsciousness  he 
began  to  recover  and  according  to  the  surgeon,  is  not  only 
well,  but  in  the  possession  of  all  his  senses. 

When  in  Algiers  some  time  ago.  Dr.  Bruch  treated  an 
Arab  for  an  ugly  wound  about  the  left  eye,  which  has  been 
caused  by  the  blow  of  a hammer.  The  patient  remained 
in  the  hospital  service  fully  two  months  and  during  that 
time  did  not  show  the  slightest  evidence  of  cerebral  trou- 
ble. At  the  end  of  that  period  he  became  unconscious  and 
died  in  a few  days.  The  post  mortem  examination  de- 
veloped the  astounding  fact  that  he  was  totally  destitute  of 
brains. 

The  anatomist  and  the  psychologist  alike  are  study- 
ing these  cases  with  tremendous  interest  but  no  explana- 
tion that  harmonizes  with  our  previous  knowledge  seems 
to  be  forthcoming.’^ 

Because  a person  may  swoon,  or  in  falling 
asleep,  awaken  with  no  memory  of  such  periods 
does  not  prove  a suspension  of  consciousness.  No 


64 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


man  ever  dreamed  he  was  anyone  else  than  him- 
self. Therefore,  when  he  does  dream,  he  doesn’t 
lose  his  individuality  and  his  consciousness,  even 
though  he  may  think  himself  transformed  into  an 
animal.  It  is  true,  however,  that  he  doesn’t  recol- 
lect always  what  he  dreams,  because  he  may  talk 
in  his  sleep  and  awake  with  no  memory  of  any 
sleeping  thought.  Nevertheless,  is  such  cases  he 
would  be  conscious,  but  not  being  attentive,  would 
not  remember  the  fancies  of  a restless  night  any 
better  than  the  listless  thoughts  of  a day  dream. 
However,  there  is  no  douljt  about  a person’s  ability 
to  cultivate  a memory  of  his  dreams  if  he  desires, 
and  can  afford  to  sacrifice  the  rest  of  sleep. 

A man  may  have  his  leg,  or  his  arm,  cut  off 
and  buried,  yet  a spiritual  conception  of  an  arm 
will  remain.  He  feels  it,  he  attempts  to  use  it  and 
although  years  after  its  loss  he  may  almost  give  it 
up,  yet  before  his  old  age  death  a full  conscious- 
ness of  the  presence  of  his  amputated  limb  will  re- 
turn to  him.  The  doctors  may  come  forward  with 
their  reasonable  sounding  explanations  of  this,  but 
if  I can  feel  the  consciousness  of  a right  arm  that 
is  lost,  why  not  feel  both  the  right  and  left  al- 
though lost ; why  not  also  be  conscious  of  the  legs, 
the  head  and  the  trunk  if  they  are  lost?  A soul 
may  be  such  a consciousness  in  process  of  develop- 
ment of  which  the  mental  shadow  of  the  lost  mem- 
ber is  a part. 

Attention  is  directed  to  sight,  which  per- 
ceives objects  as  continuous  when  less  than  one- 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


65 


tenth  of  a second  intervenes  between  the  succes- 
sion of  appearances  to  the  human  eye.  Proceeding 
from  this  we  measure  nerve  action,  and  thought 
response,  when  inquired  about  through  the  med- 
ium of  senses.  There  is  also  here  a capacity  limit. 
But  one  or  two  ideas  or  thoughts,  never  more  than 
ten,  can  be  considered  by  a normal  person  in  a sec- 
ond without  running  them  together  in  confusion. 
But  dreams  indicate  a mind  activity  that  could 
never  respond  to  physical  sense  direction.  In  a 
second  or  two  we  may  live  a day,  or  a week,  and  go 
through  experiences  it  would  require  months  to 
see,  and  hear,  and  do,  if  the  brain  and  nerves  were 
doing  the  work  in  the  normal  way  within  its  ca- 
pacity to  receive  and  send  out  thoughts.  These 
things  are  merely  suggested  here  to  be  recalled 
later,  but  they  may  cause  us  to  begin  to  doubt  the 
talk  of  mind  being  tne  product  of  matter  and  the 
brain  the  source  of  thoughts. 

It  is  fairly  reasonable  to  presume  that  a man’s 
consciousness  may  be  independent  of  his  body  and 
not  suspended  or  exterminated  in  death  any  more 
than,  nor  as  much  as,  in  the  short  period  of  the 
restful  sleep. 

The  brain  seems  to  be  an  organ  through 
which  the  will  opei’ates.  It  is  a delicate  engine 
of  energy  played  upon  by  will  or  intelligence.  The 
intelligence  of  man  may  desire  to  examine  a plant, 
and  by  will  cause  the  hand  to  pluck  it.  Again,  the 
intelligence  may  conceive  the  plan  of  a canal,  or  a 
railroad  across  a continent,  and  by  will  induce 
other  forces  to  co-operate  and  accomplish  a collos- 


66 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


sal  undertaking  to  satisfy  this  desire  of  an  ego. 
This  machine,  the  brain  of  man,  may  have  a defec- 
tive keyboard  and  not  be  able  to  perform  in  every 
instance  the  beautiful  work  performed  by  others. 
It  may  work  so  poorly  as  to  be  of  no  use  to  the  in- 
telligence operating  it.  It  may,  when  commanded 
or  willed,  do  the  very  reverse  thing  and  in  fact  ex- 
asperate the  operator  or  even  totally  deceive  him. 
It  may  be  that  some  insane  patients  are  peculiar 
because  of  physical  defects  of  brain  or  body  as  it 
is  usual  for  such  patients,  who  have  what  are 
termed  hallucinations,  and  believe  that  a friend  is 
an  enemy,  a fierce  animal,  or  a fiend,  to  act  as  a 
sane  person  would  act  if  the  hallucination  were  a 
reality,  and  proceed  to  defend  themselves.  Pos- 
sibly a premature  breaking  up  of  the  mental  cells, 
later  herein  referred  to,  may  cause  this  mental 
marvel.  The  phenomena  termed  insanity  are  not 
very  satisfactorily  explained  in  medical  works  and 
consequently  do  not  warrant  more  than  the  fore- 
going mere  suggestions  excepting,  perhaps,  to  add 
that  every  crazy  thought  an  insane  man  may  have, 
is  a perversion  of  some  suggestion.  In  fact,  every 
idea  of  any  man,  comes  from  something  else.  No 
thought  is  pure  originality  made  from  nothing,  but 
every  mental  conception  must  be  a transformation 
from  some  pre-existing  suggestion,  idea,  or  ex- 
pression. If  every  misty  imaginative  thought  of 
man  must  needs  come  from  something,  how  can 
even  a potential  life,  or  soul,  come  from  nothing  ? 
Right  here  is  the  place  to  call  attention  to  that 
strong  deduction  of  common  usage,  that  if  matter 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


67 


cannot  be  destroyed  neither  can  intellect.  If  it 
cannot  be  destroyed,  why  would  the  soul  not  be 
independent  of  the  body  when  the  body  is  shucked 
from  the  soul  and  transposed  into  different  mat- 
ter? 

Returning  to  the  main  question  we  are  con- 
fronted with  the  instinctive  desire  of  man  for  a 
future  life.  Every  nation  of  the  earth  has  a pecul- 
iar religion,  or  superstition,  of  its  own.  It  is  also 
noticed  that  aged  persons,  or  those  who  are  about 
confronting  death,  confess  a belief  in  a future 
state,  not  so  fervently  felt  in  budding  childhood. 
These  things  in  themselves  perhaps,  would  signify 
nothing  were  it  nOt  for  the  other  slight  evidences 
on  this  subject,  merely  pointed  to  in  the  foregoing. 
They  are  fortified  by  observation  of  the  caterpil- 
lar, mothworm  and  other  larva  life  impelled  by 
what  may  be  termed  their  old-age  instinct,  invar- 
iably preparing  themselves  by  deliberate  action  for 
a transformation.  Observe  what  nature  has  done 
for  its  creatures — ^how  it  crowns  even  the  instinct 
of  the  moth  worm  with  success — how  it  rewards 
every  intuition  of  bird,  animal,  and  insect.  Will 
man,  who  has  by  evolution  risen  so  high,  and  who 
possesses  an  inherited  insatiable  desire  for  a con- 
tinued knowledge,  and  progress,  and  eternal  life, 
be  confronted  with  a reversal  of  the  law  of  pro- 
gress, and  life,  that  has  made  him  what  he  is  and 
will  he  be  disappointed,  and  tortured  in  this  chief 
hope,  and  greatest  desire,  which  is  more  persistent 
than  any  instinct  of  animal,  bird,  or  insect? 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  SOUL. 

CHAPTEE  XI. 

While  I have  argued,  and  still  argue,  that  it  is 
immaterial  how,  or  where,  the  soul  originated  to 
establish  that  it  may  continue  to  exist,  I shall  add 
a few  arguments  on  what  occurs  to  me  as  a reason- 
able, probable,  and  natural  origin  of  that  form  of 
life  known  as  man’s  soul. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  call  attention  to 
the  condition  of  man’s  life  at  the  period  of  concep- 
tion. Two  independent  living  germs  of  life  unite 
to  form  the  fertilized  ovum  later  to  be  bom  as  a 
child.  This  fact  is  cited  by  materialists  as  evi- 
dence against  a pre-soul  existence,  and  to  prove 
that  consequently  a dissolution  of  the  body  is  an 
extermination  of  the  soul.  They  cynically  ask 
from  which  of  the  two  does  the  soul  come?  A 
careful  reading  of  Hudson’s  theory  of  a dual  per- 
sonality in  every  human  being  or  the  subconscious 
mind  and  the  reading  of  the  many  excellent  maga- 
zine articles  and  reported  cases  of  double  person- 
alities, shows  a strong  possibility  that  life  comes 
from  the  life  of  the  mother,  or  the  father,  and  not 
from  both.  No  one  can,  without  further  data,  be 
certain  of  this. 

It  is  claimed  by  good  authority  that  there  is 
not  a tendency  of  blending,  unless  possibly  in  some 
cases  of  mere  superficial  color.  The  mixture  of  all 


M«*n(k*liim  proportions  in  maize.  (U)hs  Imhii  ]>y  heterozygote  plants 
pollinated  with  the  reeessive,  showing  equality  of  sni<M)th  ami  wrinkled 
and  of  colored  and  white  grains  {Lock) 


70 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


types  or  races  does  not  give  us  a composite  citizen- 
ship, but  here  and  there  distinct  representatives 
recur,  unmixed,  and  unchanged.  The  crossing  of 
red  and  white  corn  accounts  for  the  different  ker- 
nels on  the  one  cob,  part  of  the  kernels  red  and 
part  white,  but  none  pink.  This  mixing  may  re- 
sult in  sweet  com  and  flint  com  being  raised  on 
the  same  cob  and  the  same  with  yellow  and  white 
corn.  In  the  same  way  the  mating  of  different 
kinds  of  rats,  mice  and  guinea  pigs  shows  that  the 
chances  of  the  two  parents  are  equally  divided  in 
marking  the  off-spring  subject  to  a much  smaller 
percentage  of  births  that  resemble  the  more  re- 
mote ancestry. 

It  is  likewise  so  with  human  beings  in  the  mar- 
riage of  idiots  with  persons  of  strong  intellect. 
The  children  of  an  idiotic  parent  will  be  divided 
about  half  and  half — part  idiots  and  part  normal. 
They  are  not  merely  average,  but  either  iaiotic  or 
intelligent. 

There  seems  to  be  a dividing  line  or  limit  at 
this  attempt  to  blend.  In  the  far  East,  where  the 
distinct  races  cross,  they  are  known  as  half-breeds. 
Crossing  again  they  are  known  as  renegades. 
These  renegades  cease  reproduction  just  as  the 
mule — a cross  between  a donkey  and  a horse — will 
not  breed.  Nature  protects  the  identity  of  many  of 
its  species  by  sterility  when  sex  violations  are 
persisted  in  after  the  third  or  fourth  generation. 
It  seems  with  this  revulsion  of  the  body  against 
mingling  that  the  shul,  or  life,  takes  its  last  step 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


71 


into  mortality  through  either  mother  or  father, 
but  not  half  and  half  from  each. 

There  may  be  a shuffling  of  well  constructed 
bodily  tissues  of  the  two  parents,  but  not  a blend- 
ing, breaking  up  and  mixing,  and  most  certainly 
not  a confusion  of  soul  life.  The  life  germ  of  one 
parent  may  become  dormant,  or  sub-conscious, 
^^'hile  that  of  the  other  may  become  self  assertive. 
The  self  assertive  soul,  or  spark,  of  life  may  have 
come  through  either  mother  or  father.  This  dis- 
tinctive self  assertive  personality  is  the  soul  of 
which  we  are  mostly  concerned  and  the  subcon- 
scious spark  of  life  which  we  do  not  recognize, 
and  which,  perhaps,  lost  much  of  its  identity,  may 
have  its  future  reward  or  continuity  of  life. 

The  independent  life,  spark,  mind,  or  soul  of 
either  the  spermatazoon  or  of  the  ovum,  whichever 
is  weakest,  probably  gives  way  to  the  leadership 
of  the  stronger.  No  proof  has  ever  been  advanced 
that  a complete,  inseparable  union  of  the  two 
particles  of  mind  became  one,  or  that  neither  had 
mind,  or  life,  previously  and  consequently  by  a 
union  gave  origin  to  a new  life  that  never  lived 
before.  Such  a theory  of  mixing  like  liquids  to 
the  extent  of  breaking  every  complex  cell,  shown 
more  fully  hereinafter,  is  more  strange  and  harder 
to  establish  than  the  one  of  co-operation  I merely 
suggest  for  investigation,  subject  to  the  theory  of 
reversion  to  a metaphysical  origin  later  explained. 
Experiments  in  producing  sea  anemone  and 
star  fish  without  natural  fertilization,  indicates 
the  union  of  life  from  the  male  is  not  necessary  for 


Star  Fish 


Sea  Anemone 


74 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


purely  female  reproduction  and  may  account  for 
any  distinct  subconscious  mind  or  life  in  all 
natural  births.  It  also  indicates  that  some  beings 
may  have  a subconscious  mind  and  some  may  not. 
The  dual  soul  personality  is  acceptable  and  indeed 
demonstrable.  They  may,  however,  in  fact  leave 
the  body  at  different  periods  and  only  where 
nearly  balanced,  remain  throughout  human  exis- 
tence. 

More  recent  experiments  than  those  concern- 
ing sea  animals  are  shown  from  Associate 
Press  dispatches.  “Washington,  D.  C.,  Sept.  20, 
(1912.)  A fatherless  frog  is  a unique  exhibit  of 
artificial  life  of  the  International  Hygiene  Con- 
gress. An  egg  fertilized  with  acid  (blood)  de- 
veloped a tadpole  which  today  attained  froghood.” 

Coming  back  to  the  primitive  cell  or  ovum,  it 
has  life  and  also  is  made  of  material.  How  was 
the  material  made  ? Certainly  like  all  tissue.  All 
tissue  growth  is  by  cell  development  as  in  the 
original  form  of  life.  It  is  by  division  of  cells  and 
then  normal  expansion,  redivision  and  re-expan- 
sion. Every  man  living  is  a part  of  the  same 
original  tissue  of  all  his  ancestors:  a cell  cast  off 
and  expanded  by  multiplication.  It  is  an  actual 
part  of  the  parent  body  (the  same  with  each  an- 
cestor) perfected  and  striving  for  greater  attain- 
ments. 

Let  us  next  consider  the  life  part  of  the  ovum, 
or  spermatozoon.  As  cells  of  matter,  which  we 
see,  propagate  themselves  by  this  division  in  the 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


75 


material  world,  perhaps  mental  cells  or  soul  cells, 
which  we  cannot  sense,  may  in  the  same  manner 
and  even  by  co-operation  with  the  material,  like- 
wise divide,  or  cast  off  circles,  or  buds,  of  soul 
life,  to  develop  into  independent  mental  identities. 
Some  divine  parent  mind  or  soul  may  be  the 
source  of  all  souls,  as  one  seedless  orange  tree,  and 
its  descendants,  furnished  sprouts  for  millions  of 
independent  trees  in  orange  groves.  After  this 
material  illustration  of  propagated,  and  decaying, 
tree  trunks  for  a material  comparison,  I next  give 
more  of  a mental  or  life  illustration,  in  which  it 
is  said,  “In  the  beginning  was  the  word  (the  mind) 
and  the  word  was  with  God  and  the  word  was 
God.”  Therefore,  if  in  the  beginning  mind 
existed  before  matter,  as  we  may  easily  reason, 
and  this  mentality  said,  or  thought,  let  there  be 
light,  and  there  was  light,  because  no  matter,  or 
counter  force,  existed  to  stay  this  supreme  desire ; 
and  if  it  was  also  said,  or  thought,  let  there  be 
man  in  the  image  of  God,  what  force  (if  there 
was  none)  could  stay  the  progress  of  evolution 
towards  this  eternal  life? 

If  there  is  a Supreme  Intelligence  who  always 
was,  and  always  will  be,  (a  phrase  we  use  to  de- 
scribe the  Infinite)  and  small  gifts  of  life  are  im- 
parted, or  were  imparted,  even  aeons  ago,  from 
this  supreme  mentality,  like  cells  of  matter  are 
cast  off  to  develop,  why  should  they  not  strive  in 
maturing  to  develop  in  likeness  to  the  parent  men- 
tality, as  do  primary  cells  of  matter  and  continue 
developing  a life  eternal  ? Why  not  consider  our- 


76 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


selves  truly  sons  of  God  made  in  His  image  ? Why 
doubt  and  challenge  the  special  Divinity  of  Jesus 
Christ  when  we  ourselves  have  a spark  of  that 
divinity?  Why  scoff  and  hoot  and  secretly  ques- 
tion the  statement  concerning  the  conception  of 
Christ  when  we  are  compelled  to  accept  the  story 
of  a fatherless  frog  and  of  fatherless  fish?  I 
trust  I may  be  pardoned  for  diverging  upon  Bibli- 
cal study  at  this  time  on  the  ground  of  its  mani- 
fest interest  to  a large  group  of  the  world’s  popu- 
lation. 

As  previously  stated,  I do  not  know  positively 
from  whence  the  soul  came  originally,  but  believ- 
ing it  could  not  come  from  nothing,  merely  throw 
out  the  suggestion  that  life,  distinguished  from 
flesh,  may  have  a growth  analogous  to  matter, 
peculiar,  however,  in  being  metaphysical  instead 
of  physical,  and  without  much  self  consciousnesss 
until  fully  developed.  I speak  of  this  merely  as  a 
possibility,  or  perhaps  I am  justified  in  saying,  it 
is  a probability  and  will  bear  further  investiga- 
tion. I will  cheerfully  change  any  conclusions  not 
logically  drawn  from  controlling  facts  as  soon  as 
my  attention  may  be  directed  to  the  error,  because 
I offer  them  as  they  may  prove  to  be  the  truth 
with  the  same  confidence  the  proofs  were  pre- 
sented that  the  world  is  round.  If  these  evidences 
which  indicate  immortality  cannot  be  destroyed, 
and  are  gradually  added  to,  a recognition  of  such 
a principle  of  soul  growth  in  nature  is  bound  to  be 
acknowledged. 


EMBRYOS  OF  THREE  MAMMAES 
B-Bat  (Rhinoolphus)  G-Gibbon  (Hylobates)  M-Man  (Horn) 
After  Haeckel. 


78 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


Analyzing  a man  under  the  microscope  we 
find  him  to  be  a corporation  of  cells;  each  cell 
much  like  the  ancestor  moner  which  propagated 
itself  by  uniting  in  the  center  and  separating  into 
two  cells  as  previously  stated.  In  higher  develop- 
ment the  human  body  allows  a certain  group  of 
cells  to  do  the  digesting,  and  another  set  to  do  the 
seeing,  and  another  set  to  do  the  casting  off,  or 
dividing  of  themselves  for  self  propagation. 
Whereas,  the  moner,  or  its  cousin,  from  which 
we  developed,  when  walking  was  all  legs,  and 
when  eating  was  all  mouth  and  stomach,  and  when 
reproducing  split  itself  in  two. 

In  man,  however,  each  group  begins  the  per- 
formance of  its  distinct  function  in  the  original 
way,  although  ending  with  its  highest  develop- 
ment. Every  foetal  step  records  the  true  history 
of  evolution  from  the  so-called  single  celled  proto- 
plasm to  the  acquirement,  and  then  the  loss  of 
gills  like  the  fishes  have,  and  on  and  on  step  at  a 
time  to  what  he  is  today.  As  man  develops  in 
future,  much  of  the  present  day  education  will  be 
developed  in  the  womb,  and  still  higher  attain- 
ments cutlivated  in  colleges  of  the  future.  This 
is  demonstrated  now  with  musical  and  mathemati- 
cal prodigies — ^not  necessarily  the  son’s  of  prod- 
igies, but  rather  the  sons  of  those  who  concen- 
trate thoughts  on  mathematics,  or  music,  at  the 
susceptible  period,  perhaps  stimulated  by  some 
necessary  calculation,  made  laborious  through 
ignorance,  or  by  unusual  appreciation  of,  or  crav- 
ing for  music. 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


79 


The  influence  of  the  mind,  with  its  constant 
desire,  stimulates  both  soul  and  body  development 
of  each  birth  with  more  strength  to  achieve  the 
ideal  desired,  fhat  is  why  the  physical,  as  well 
as  mental,  improvement  of  past  ages  is  concen- 
trated into  such  wonderful  womb  development  in 
the  short  period  of  nine  months.  The  net  pro- 
gress of  the  next  50,000  years  together  with  all 
the  wonderful  past  creations,  will  be  concentrated 
in  the  womb  development  of  the  children  of  that 
age.  It  is  easy  to  see  every  step  of  the  past  ages 
of  physical  development  traced  out  in  the  rapid 
growth  of  a body  during  this  short  period  of  ges- 
tation. It  is  much  more  difficult  to  see  the  same 
lapid  retracing  of  the  evolution  of  a soul  during 
the  same  period,  however,  it  is  there.  As  the 
body  is  cast  off  and  developed  in  such  wonderfully 
short  time  from  another  body,  will  you  not  now 
concede  that  life  itself  may  be  cast  off  from  a par- 
ental life,  or  spirituality,  and  be  developed  into  an 
independent  soul  This  is  no  more  wonderful 
than  what  you  may  see  in  the  physical  world. 

That  soul  which  separated  as  a mere  sprout 
has  for  ages  been  evolving  from  an  unconscious, 
potential,  existence  to  a conscious  immortality, 
not  entirely  unlike  a very  low  order  of  immortal- 
ity of  matter  I shall  mention. 

For  the  purpose  of  giving  a living  example  of 
this  theory  of  life  development  to  prove  by  anal- 
ogy that  spiritual  immortality  is  a possibility  in 
nature,  I shall  first  mention  earth-worms  which 


80 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


will  develop  a new  head  and  extremity  where 
severed,  forming  two  independent  worms.  There 
is  no  doubt  of  the  hydra  growing  new  heads  when 
the  old  ones  are  severed,  as  surely  as  asparagus 
roots  shoot  up  new  sprouts.  We  may  add  to  this 
the  information  concei’ning  the  eggs  of  the  sea  ur- 
chin, which,  when  severed,  will  hatch  out  indepen- 
dent young  for  each  fragment,  much  as  the  spores 
of  mushrooms  may  be  used  to  reproduce  these 
plants.  Many  forms  of  animal  life  reproduce  by 
budding  and  growing  the  offspring  complete,  as 
spiders  and  crabs  regenerate  legs,  or  the  salaman- 
der regenerates  legs,  or  tail,  whenever  destruction 
renders  it  necessary. 


The  amoeba  and  moner  perpetually  grow  and 
divide.  There  is  no  infancy,  distinguished  from 
old  age;  no  parent  and  child,  nor  natural  birth, 
nor  any  birth,  and  no  natural  death.  They  simply 
divide,  divide,  divide.  Unless  unnatural  condi- 
tions prevent  they  live  and  multiply  forever. 
Those  living  today  have  lived  millions  of  years 
and  some  of  them  will  continue  to  live  millions  of 


PROPAGATION  OF  A MONER 

The  propagation  of  moners,  the  lowliest  organized  of  beings,  occurs  by 
spontaneous  division.  A.  The  complete  moner — a Protamoeba.  B.  Splitting 
up  of  the  same  by  a median  contraction,  into  two  halves.  C.  Each  of  the  two 
halves  has  separated  from  its  companion  and  makes  up  an  independent  in- 
dividual. (After  Haeckel.) 


PROPAGATION  OF  AMCEBA  SPH AEROCOCCUS- 


82 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


years  to  come.  The  specimens  you  examine  under 
your  microscope  today  were  in  some  pond  in  the 
days  of  Pharaoh.  They  are  all  the  same,  but  be- 
cause of  division  there  are  more  of  them. 

A study  of  the  coral  is  a confirmation  of  the 
same  story.  The  center  of  the  top  and  bottom  of 
the  mouth  unite  and  the  division  of  the  entire 
animal,  which  started  at  its  mouth,  is  carried  out 
until  the  animal  is  literally  split  and  lo ! we  behold 
two  animals,  both  of  which  have  the  same  age, 
which  was  not  the  date  of  the  first  union  of  the 
mouth,  nor  the  final  separation,  but  reaches  back 
for  ages  into  the  eternity  of  the  past ; for  they 
were  never  born.  Many  other  such  examples 
could  be  given. 

Any  ultra  microscopic  cells  even  of  micro- 
scopic animals,  or  the  cells  of  any  form  of  life  re- 
veal the  same  marvelous  intelligent  power  of  con- 
struction by  the  Omnipitent  Architect  of  life. 

It  is  possible  for  any  one  to  see  an  independ- 
ent life  moving  and  acting  in  such  harmonious 
rythm  as  an  earth  worm  cut  into  two  pieces  and 
each  part  live  and  become  separate  and  distinct. 
These  worms  reproduce  internal  organs  as  an  eye 
is  reproduced  on  the  triton  or  a whole  head  is  re- 
produced on  many  insects.  Assuming  a sort  of 
worm  intelligence,  or  memory,  and  a directing 
center  of  intelligence  for  a worm  before  severed, 
would  not  the  tail  half  of  the  old  worm  remember 
something  of  the  experience  it  had  before  it  lost 
its  head  half  and  developed  a new  one  ? If,  by  di- 


Triton  cristatusy  male,  female,  and  larva.  The  upper  figure  is  the  male. 
—Prom  Brehm’s  Thierleben. 


84 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


viding  its  body,  it  also  divides  its  life  and  exper- 
ience, as  it  surely  must,  why  do  not  human  par- 
ents (made  up  of  the  same  cells  that  constitute 
the  earth  worm)  impart  some  of  their  experience, 
instinct,  or  memory,  with  the  cells  of  their  bodies, 
and  the  sparks  of  their  souls,  that  are  surrendered 
to  mature  independent  manhood  and  womanhood  ? 

The  answer  must  needs  be  they  do,  and  per- 
haps, these  memories  remain  dormant  for  gener- 
ations and  then  become  so  responsive  as  to  burst 
out  in  what  he  may  think  is  his  mere  imagination, 
surprising  himself  and  giving  the  credulous  the 
impression  that  he  is  a re-incarnated  soul  of  some 
great  man  of  the  past?  All  pre-birth  memory  is 
probably  more  like  intuition,  and  instinct,  than 
educational  memory  and  knowledge.  This  man- 
ner of  development  is  the  basis  for  all  arguments 
for  pre-natal  influence. 

There  is  even  more  than  this.  In  one  sense 
death  seems  unnatural  on  account  of  the  persis- 
tence of  all  these  lower  organisms.  Where  we 
have  thought  death  occurred,  it  is  only  an  inter- 
ruption of  the  immortality  of  nature.  Therefore 
it  is  no  wonder  that  the  interruption  of  so  called 
death  is  not  permanent,  and  that  matter  as  well 
as  life,  will  move  on,  and  cannot  be  destroyed,  but 
can  only  be  diverted  and  temporarily  changed 
from  its  course.  As  man’s  body  has  also  existed 
for  so  many  ages,  and  his  likes  and  dislikes,  are 
the  net  results  of  his  experiences  of  ages  before 
the  birth  from  which  he  calculates  everything. 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


85 


his  soul  has  had  the  same  immortality  and  may 
expect  a longer,  a stronger,  and  an  individual, 
conscious,  existence. 

I presume  no  child  ever  lived  without  having 
dreams  of  fear — wanting  to  run  and  being  unable 
to  move,  or  more  than  creep;  dreams  of  flying — 
just  floating  off;  and  dreams  of  running  at  a ter- 
rible speed.  Perhaps,  they  were  all  caused,  or  de- 
veloped, by  some  present  suggestion.  But  the 
suggestion  recalled  long  hidden,  but  tracable  ex- 
periences of  actual  fright,  ecstacies  of  ancestors, 
even  in  other  forms.  Our  more  immediate  ances- 
tors may  have  been  fleet  of  foot,  but  long  before 
the  days  of  the  vertebrae,  and  mammalia  and 
marsupial  families,  which  much  later  appeared, 
our  ancestors  must  have  had  wings,  as  most  of  the 
insects,  that  surely  descended  from  the  slow 
crawling  worms.  It  is  no  more  remarkable  that 
tendencies  toward  certain  dreams,  or  even  fantas- 
tic notions,  should  be  inherited  than  family  fea- 
tures, or  indeed  than  intangible  family  traits 
should  be  handed  down  for  generation  after  gen- 
eration. 

Why  are  not  some  of  man’s  dreams  either 
when  wakeful,  or  asleep,  put  in  motion  by  subcon- 
scious memories  of  occurrences  when  they  were 
part  of  the  ancestors  mental  corporation? 

To  illustrate  this  subject  further  consider 
some  education  as  a process  of  recalling  inherit- 
ed memories.  If  it  were  not  so  you  could  teach 
a dog,  or  a cat,  something  like  you  teach  a child. 
This  inherited  memory  is  called  instinct  when 


86 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


chickens,  or  birds,  hatched  in  incubators,  and  not 
raised  among  nature’s  offspring,  mate,  build  nests 
and  go  on  rearing  young.  Such  memories  would 
come  to  mankind  at  the  proper  time  by  instinct, 
if  not  circumvented  by  education  running  wild. 

The  soul  of  man  today  originated,  as  far  as 
his  independence  is  concerned,  when  it  separated 
from  the  soul  of  his  parent.  In  another  sense  it 
is  like  the  coral,  never  bom,  but  always  existed. 
Let  us  return  to  the  materialist’s  origin  of  the 
soul — an  alleged  chemical  union  of  the  spermata- 
zoon  and  ovum,  referred  to  in  the  opening  of  this 
chapter.  I think  it  probable  such  union  was  not 
originally  necessary,  but  in  later  ages  the  practice 
was  one  adopted.  I am  of  the  opinion  that  all  life 
at  some  early  period  of  development  increased  by 
division  without  exterior  co-operation.  Later  on 
they  not  only  continued  this  process  of  reproduc- 
tion but  also  became  bisexual.  Still  later  some 
types  separated  into  groups  of  distinct  sexes.  Sex 
relationship  seems  to  be  an  evolutionary  step  as 
clearly  marked  as  the  evolution  of  sight.  It  seems 
to  have  been  adopted  to  aid  and  excite  a natural 
condition  of  self-propagation,  the  power  of  which 
primitively  existed  independently  with  each  in- 
dividual. 

Recurring  to  the  illustration  of  immortality 
of  certain  animals  and  to  the  example  of  persist- 
ent life  in  both  halves  of  an  earth  worm,  when 
severed,  I call  attention  to  the  recent  experiments 
of  Dr.  Carrel,  of  the  Rockefeller  Institute.  As 
previously  referred  to,  when  the  worm  is  divided 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


87 


the  tail  half  retains  a share  of  its  life  and  mem- 
ories of  the  pain  of  light  and  the  pleasures  of 
proper  moisture  and  darkness  and  lives  on  until  a 
new  head  is  developed  and  a fully  grown  worm- 
mentality  is  brought  into  existence.  Dr.  Carrell 
has  taken  the  tissues  of  animals  from  every  part 
of  a body  and  kept  them  alive  and  developing  upon 
microscopic  slides.  He  would  give  them  the 
warmth  of  the  body  in  an  incubator  and  feed  them 
by  immersion  in  blood,  or  lymph,  and  occasionally 
wash  them  of  excreted  toxins.  These  cells  would 
go  on  growing  out  of  the  body  as  they  did  within 
the  body,  developing  to  ten  or  twenty  times  the 
original  bulk.  In  developing  the  tissues  of  the 
heart  they  would  not  only  grow,  but  throb,  or  pul- 
sate, in  about  the  same  normal  manner  for  three 
or  four  months.  In  this  way  he  has  kept  entire 
organs  alive,  and  functioning,  outside  of  the  body. 
He  has  never  created  life,  but  he  has  only  demon- 
strated that  the  brain  is  not  the  sole  seat  of  life. 
Life  and  personality  for  some  purposes  extends 
over  the  entire  body  and  when  any  part  of  the 
body  is  surrendered  in  the  natural  manner  for 
propagation,  or  by  accident,  and  even  violently,  a 
part  of  this  personality  is  surrendered.  There 
was  a memory  and  a motive  of  the  heart  tissues  to 
go  on  repairing  its  waste  from  the  wound  of 
severing  and  to  go  on  beating  as  if  it  was  still 
pumping  the  blood.  It  was  a limited  memory — a 
mere  heart  memory.  But  the  cells  of  perpetua- 
tion carrying  life  impressed  with  the  broader 
duties  of  duplicating  an  entire  animal  will  do  more 


88 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


than  merely  pulsate.  If  a leaf  of  a tree  could  be 
kept  green,  although  detached,  it  would  never 
grow  a tree  because  its  life  was  a mere  lung  life. 
It  would  require  a shoot  with  the  potential  ele- 
ments of  every  part  of  a tree  to  go  on  growing 
and  reproduce  itself.  Therefore,  we  may  reason 
that  while  a piece  of  pulsating  heart  has  life  and 
may  reproduce  cells  to  repair  wounds,  and  wear,  it 
has  not  the  whole  potential  soul-element  to  go  on 
producing  a whole  heart,  lungs,  liver,  eyes,  bod^v 
brain  and  soul.  It  requires  cells  from  a part  of 
the  body  corresponding  to  the  bud  of  a tree,  that 
are  impressed  with  a potential  life,  desirous  of 
performing  all  the  functions  of  a body.  If  you 
ask  what  becomes  of  that  part  of  man  separated 
with  his  amputated  arm,  which  could  not  regener- 
ate a man,  I can  with  fair  reason  say  that  it  is  still 
loyal  to  the  soul-life  of  the  man  from  who  it 
was  taken  and  may  return  as  inevitably  as  the 
waters  of  the  ocean  return,  although  tom  and 
lashed  and  caught  up  in  the  clouds  and  storms. 
That  part  of  his  life  was  individual  and  dependent 
— ^it  was  not  the  part  to  develop  into  another  in- 
dividual. 

As  Maeterlink  says:  If  all  the  wisest  men  of 
the  world  could  be  gathered  around  the  flame  in 
his  lamp  they  could  not  tell  what  it  was ; where  it 
came  from ; or  where  it  went.  Every  question 
they  would  ask  would  reveal  it  a great  marvel. 

How  much  more  wonderful  is  the  spark  or 
flame  of  life  and  consciousness  of  man  ? Life  can 
be  divided  and  prolonged — because  nature  divides 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


89 


it — but  no  one  has  ever  produced  a life  other- 
wise than  drawn  it  from  an  earlier  life. 
Dr.  Carrel  has  added  evidence  to  the  theory 
of  immortality  and  sipirituality  rather  than  given 
it  a blow,  as  some  writers  have  contended. 
There  is  a soul  and  a part  of  a soul — a 
soul  nucleus — and  soul  cells,  capable  of  division 
to  form  other  souls.  These  experiments  indi- 
cate such  an  existence  of  life.  Elsewhere  we 
show  all  matter  is  a product  of  life,  rather  than 
that  life  is  produced  from  matter.  Presently  we 
will  supplement  this  physical  origin  by  taking  the 
metaphysical  origin.  It  will  be  traced  bacK  of  any 
matei’ial  origin  in  a mere  parental  source.  Parents 
are  but  the  channel  of  the  soul. 

There  may  be  some  proof  of  this  in  the 
dermoid  tumor.  This  tumor  may  appear  most 
anywhere  in  the  body,  regardless  of  the  tendency 
upon  one  side,  or  one  place,  and  upon  either  male 
or  female.  In  some  of  these  tumors  a wisp  of  hair 
is  found,  or  quantities  of  teeth  and  bones,  or  tis- 
sues from  various  parts  of  the  body.  It  may  be 
asked  why  I call  this  proof.  It  is  known  that  from 
all  species  of  life,  occasionally  some  one  shows  a 
tendency  to  revert  back  several,  or  many  genera- 
tions— seeming  to  slip  over  or  avoid  any  influence 
of  parents  or  grandparents  of  either  side — de- 
veloping some  trait,  or  physical  peculiarity,  of  a 
remote  ancestor.  Because  of  this  occasional  tend- 
ency, for  an  entire  human  being  to  revert  and  in 
some  instances  to  revert  clear  back  to  such  a stage 
of  degeneracy  as  to  produce  what  we  term  an  idiot 


Bone,  Teeth  and  Hair  in 
Dermoid  Tumor.— Kelly. 


Dermoid  Cyst  Tumor.— Palmer  Findley. 

These  tumors  have  been  known  to  produce  skin  tissue,  bone,  nerves, 
muscle,  sweat  glands,  hair  of  different  color  from  that  on  the  body,  brain 
cells,  teeth  -as  many  as  400  in  one  tumor— cartilage  nail  tissue,  horn, 
nipple  and  various  parts  of  the  body. 


92 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


with  brain  cells  below  those  of  the  cave  man — 
even  below  those  of  many  animals — I assume  some 
single  cell  in  man’s  body  may  come  degenerated, 
while  the  rest  are  normal.  I therefore  assume 
that  a dermoid  tumor  is  the  result  of  an  effort  of 
a degenerated  or  “idiotic”  cell  to  reproduce  the 
body  by  mere  diversion  of  cells  in  the  manner  of 
ages  ago  when  life  was  less  complex,  but  because 
of  inharmony  with  the  rest  of  the  cells,  becomes 
abortive  and  much  of  the  bulk  breaks  up  and 
reverts  into  the  contents  of  the  cyst.  You 
may  doubt  this  theory,  but  when  you  ask  a half 
dozen  medical  men  the  cause  of  dermoid  tumors, 
or  any  kind  of  tumors,  or  cancers,  and  listen  to 
different  answers,  or  evasions,  you  may  think 
there  is  something  in  the  theory  I suggest  and 
admit  that  it  is  another  evidence  of  evolution  from 
a time  so  far  back  that  man’s  ancestors  were  bi- 
sexual or  rather  non-sexual. 

Fecundation  among  some  insects  occurs  only 
once  in  a lifetime  and  is  like  a funeral  rite  as  death 
surely  follows  the  ceremony.  Once  the  queen  bee 
is  fertilized  the  drone  perishes  while  the  bride, 
faithful  to  the  union,  may  lay  eggs  and  raise 
swarm  after  swarm  for  five  or  ten,  years  never 
again  mating.  Other  insects  including  some 
spiders  unite  as  a sort  of  experimental  desire  be- 
cause such  fertilization  is  not  necessary  to  the 
laying  of  eggs  that  hatch. 

All  of  this,  with  the  cases  of  union  of  bisex- 
ual insects,  indicates  that  higher  families  of  life 
have  developed  distinct  sex  relationship,  and  rely 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


93 


upon  such  stimulation,  as  a substitute  for  inher- 
ent excitement  until  sex  relationship  became 
necessary  in  place  of  the  primitive  manner  of  re- 
production. 

But  what  of  all  this ! It  is  a mere  segment  in 
the  long  chain  of  life  extending  down  from  ages 
without  a broken  link.  A glimpse  at  the  exist- 
ence of  life  determined  long  previous  to  sex  union 
was  noted  in  pursuing  an  investigation  in  eugen- 
ics. The  ovaries  of  the  black  guinea  pig  have  been 
grafted,  in  an  albino  mother,  in  place  of  those  re- 
moved and  upon  such  albino  mother  being  mated 
with  an  albino  male  she  produced  black  offspring, 
twice  successively,  and  after  the  third  mating 
died,  leaving  the  foetal  young  with  coats  of  black 
hair.  Does  this  not  indicate  the  real  parent  of  the 
three  families  of  black  guinea  pigs  was  the  black 
mother,  from  whom  the  living  ovaries  were  taken 
to  be  grafted  in  the  white  foster  mother,  who 
nourished  this  germ  life,  in  potential  existence,  on 
to  actual  existence?  The  impressed  organs  of  re- 
production, kept  alive  by  the  body  upon  which  it 
was  grafted,  produced  the  new  entire  bodies  of  the 
offspring  and  the  germs  of  life  transmitted  with 
the  parts  of  the  organ  imparted. 

If  the  body  is  thus  projected  and  extended, 
as  understood,  through  cell  division  of  an  organ 
consecrated  to  the  service  of  real  and  complete  re- 
production, that  cell  which  develops  an  independ- 
ent entire  body,  is  also  accompanied  by  a spark  of 
life  that  likewise  becomes  a fully  developed  soul. 


Fig.  7. — A young,  black  guinea-pig,  about  three  weeks  old.  Ovaries  taken 
from  an  animal  like  this  were  transplanted  into  the  albino  shown  immediately 
below  it. 

Fig  8. — An  albino  female  guinea-pig  Its  ovaries  were  removed  and  in 
their  place  were  introduced  ovaries  from  a black  guinea-pig,  like  the  one  shown 
in  Fig.  7 

Fig.  9. — An  albino  male  guinea-pig,  with  which  was  mated  the  albino  shown 
in  Fi^.  8. 


Figs.  10-15. — Pictures  of  three  living  guinea  pigb  (10-12)  and  ot  the  pre- 
served skins  of  three  others  (13-15),  all  of  which  were  produced  by  the  pair  of 
albinos  shown  in  Figs.  8 and  0. 

From  the  excellent  work  of  William  Ernest  Castle  — Heredity  Eugenics. 


96 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


That  soul,  in  fact,  never  originated  at  the  time  of 
the  union  of  the  parental  sex  cells,  because  it 
existed  long  before  and  was  merely  excited  and 
stimulated  into  a separation  from  the  parent,  with 
whom  it  had  previously  been  temporarily  en- 
trusted, and  from  which  it  was  taken,  to  assume 
an  independent  career. 


WHY  A SOUL  HAS  NO  DEFINITE  PRE-BIRTH 
MEMORY. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

It  has  been  shown,  beyond  question,  that  our 
bodies  have  had  immortality  of  the  past  in  the 
unsatisfying  way  described.  It  has  been  shown 
this  example  of  casting  off,  dividing,  and  expand- 
ing material  tissues  of  the  parent  body  is  also  fol- 
lowed by  life,  or  spirituality,  and  therefore,  in  all 
probability,  man’s  soul  has  had  the  same  unsatis- 
fying immortality,  in  being  a bud  or  sprout  from 
the  soul,  or  life,  of  his  ancestors.  However,  such 
past  immortality  has  been  a subservient  depend- 
ent and  an  almost  unconscious  existence,  until  in 
the  emancipation  of  birth  we  become  a separate, 
distinct  mortality  and  soul. 

The  eyelids  of  man  bat  without  a conscious 
soul  direction;  his  heart  moves  in  the  same  way 
to  keep  up  the  circulation,  and  his  intestines  press 
on  the  digesting  foods  to  nourish  the  seat  of  a 
soul.  Thousands,  yes  millions,  of  similar  intelli- 
gent motions  of  the  body  prolong  its  existence. 
These  reflex,  unconscious  acts  of  intelligence  im- 
pressed in  the  vitality  of  every  cell  of  the  body  are 
bound  to  be  felt,  in  a vague  way,  as  they  grow,  al- 
though fading  in  the  multiplication  of  cells  for  a 
new  human  being.  Therefore,  why  should  a 
young  child  not  have  a natural,  inherent  feeling 


98 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


that  it  always  existed  until  mistaught  that  it  did 
not?  Even  its  body  has  always  existed  in  the 
same  way  the  bodies  of  corals  and  moners  have 
for  ages  existed  by  continually  stretching  out 
and  dividing,  time  after  time.  Why  should  not  the 
sunlight,  and  warmth,  feel  familiar  and  soothing 
to  its  tissue?  Why  should  not  some  cells,  of  our 
ancestor  be  more  strongly  impressed  than  others 
of  this  tissue  memory  of  sensations  that  cre- 
ate a taste  or  pleasure  or  tendency  which 
makes  the  descendant  a genius?  Why  is  it  that 
this  subconscious,  obedient  part  of  life,  which 
never  previous  to  independent  birth,  sent  out 
ideas,  but  only  received  instructions,  like  the  tail 
half  of  an  angle  worm,  should  not  graduate  to 
more  independence  and  consequently  be  very  del- 
icately influenced  by  its  unrecognized  memory  of 
past  existence? 

In  the  same  manner  that  a man  jerks  his 
hands  from  the  fire  he  touches,  without  stopping 
to  think,  he  becomes  expert  in  games  or  in  the 
operating  of  machinery.  In  this  same  way  we  will 
say,  his  hands  are  taught  to  think,  and  perform 
marvelous  duties,  while  his  mind  is  busy  in  inde- 
pendent thought.  Likewise,  I have  tried  to  show 
that  the  tissues  of  the  old  body,  developing  to 
form  the  new  one,  with  its  accompanying  life, 
may  have  inherited  something  akin  to  this  hand 
intelligence  of  which  I have  spoken. 

It  is  an  interesting  pursuit,  or  inquiry,  to  try 
and  ascertain  whether  all  instinctive  desires  are 
the  product  of  an  inherited,  but  indistinct,  mem- 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


99 


ory.  When  development  sufficiently  displaces  in- 
fancy these  vague  memories  are  generally,  though 
possibly  not  always,  crowded  out  by  present 
day  happenings,  and  man  is  inspired  and  tempted 
to  the  sole  consideration  of  a field  of  compre- 
hensible possibilities  of  the  preesnt.  Yet  these 
suppressed  inherent  traits  are  there.  Some- 
thing said  or  done  may  stimulate  them,  and  pos- 
sibly not  recall  much  more  than  a primitive  like  or 
dislike.  The  life,  or  soul,  may  be  added  to,  stimu- 
lated, or  charged  analogous  to  the  charging  of  an 
electric  battery. 

For  the  purpose  of  giving  some  basis  of 
speculative  reason,  to  follow  on  this  subject,  at- 
tention is  temporarily  diverted  to  the  almost  un- 
recognizable latent  force  in  matter,  and  the  ter- 
rific explosion  of  this  force  when  released. 

When  we  realize  something  of  the  power  and 
force  stored  within  a small  quantity  of  radium, 
which  expels  its  electrons  at  a speed  of  100,000 
miles  a second,  we  wonder  at  the  source  of  the 
energy  that  concentrated  it.  The  stored  energy 
even  in  a piece  of  wood,  in  a bucket  of  water,  or 
in  a copper  coin  is  more  marvelous  than  any  of  the 
wonders  of  human  construction.  Whenever  the 
secret  is  completely  unlocked,  whenever  the  par- 
ticles of  the  package  are  wholly  released,  they  re- 
turn with  terrific  speed  to  a previous  state  of  ex- 
istence in  the  wide  expanse  of  the  universe  from 
which  they  were  gathered. 

In  considering  the  development  of  a soul,  I 
have  often  wondered  whether  intelligence  like 


100 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


matter,  incapable  of  being  reduced  to  nothing, 
was  not  made  up  of  infinitesimal  mind  particles 
capable  of  division,  and  subdivision,  to  the  ex- 
treme limits  which  confound  us  in  separating  the 
particles  of  matter  to  its  ultimate  limit.  If  so, 
then  as  truly  as  only  about  two  dozen  letters  of 
our  alphabets  are  used,  in  different  combinations, 
to  make  the  world’s  literature ; and  as  truly  as  10 
figures,  from  one  to  cypher,  are  used  to  make  the 
millions  of  billions  of  numbers  in  the  world’s  cal- 
culations; and  likewise,  as  truly  as  only  12  notes 
are  used,  in  different  combinations,  to  make  all 
the  music  of  this  world ; and  also  as  truly  as  a les- 
ser number  of  primary  cells  of  matter  are  only 
placed  in  different  combinations  to  make  the  dif- 
ferent multitudinous  forms  of  matter;  so  also 
may  we  expect  similar  primitive  spiritual  cells  of 
intellect,  or  particles  of  mind,  to  be  put  together 
in  different  numbers,  and  in  different  ways,  to 
constitute  the  many  various  forms  of  life. 

If  man  persists  in  his  faith  demanding  a 
future  life,  demanding  that  the  corporation  of 
mental  cells  be  held  together,  he  should  have  a 
greater  mind,  or  soul,  which  would  continue  to 
grow  and  better  prepare  itself  for  a continuity  of 
life.  If  a man  reverses  his  natural  power  of  at- 
traction, to  separate  his  unity  of  corporate  in- 
telligence, it  may  create  a state  of  mental  coma 
or  it  may  be  so  disastrous  as  to  explode  and  sep- 
arate all  these  particles.  Again,  I say  faith  is 
necessary  to  continue  this  wonderfully  strong 
mentality  that  man  has  developed  and  feels  with- 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


101 


in  himself.  Possibly  it  would  be  difficult  to  think 
one  man  could  disintegrate  a soul,  countless  gen- 
erations had  evolved.  However,  faith  is  bound 
to  make  one  stronger.  It  should  require  faith  to 
counteract  the  powerful  current  developed  against 
immortality.  A child,  not  subject  to  this,  may 
have  a greater  inherited  faith  than  a mature  man 
on  the  negative  side. 

In  the  same  manner  that  food  is  necessary  for 
the  stimulation  of  the  cell  development  of  the 
body,  so  is  the  accumulation  of  mental  nutrition 
contained  in  truth,  and  knowledge,  and  good 
deeds,  necessary  to  cultivate  a greater  life,  or 
soul.  The  things  we  think — the  thoughts  we  re- 
ceive and  throw  off  or  remember  and  forget — are 
to  the  soul  what  food  is  to  the  body.  They  carry, 
as  a conveyance,  a soul  element,  which,  when  re- 
tained, becomes  a part  of  the  soul  life — part  of 
man’s  mental  nature  and  character.  As  you  build 
up  the  body  and  protect  it  by  food,  drink  and  rai- 
ment, so  would  it  appear  to  be  natural  that  you 
would  widen  and  strengthen  the  soul  or  mentality 
by  what  is  concentrated  in  faith,  hope,  and  char- 
ity. It  is  certain  one  cannot  carry  into  the  great 
beyond  any  part  of  his  vast  wealth  accumulations, 
but  there  is  a marvelous  hope  and  a grand  possi- 
bility that  the  accumulated  knowledge  of  good 
things,  or  everlasting  principles,  in  harmony  with 
that  which  lives,  may  be  taken  as  a part  of  the  in- 
tellect, because  it  must  become  a part  of  the  en- 
during soul. 


102 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


In  this  manner  it  would  appear  you  may  so 
develop,  or  concrete,  a strong  consciousness  and  in- 
dividuality, which  may  become  as  much  more  in- 
vulnerable to  disintegration,  than  a hopeless  men- 
tality, as  the  product  of  intelligence  of  a quartz 
crystal  appears  to  be  more  invulnerable  to  disin- 
tegration than  the  intelligence  of  a toadstool.  If 
this  strong  and  abiding  faith  is  not  persisted  in 
and  we  permit  the  soul  to  become  weak,  and 
emaciated,  is  there  not  some  danger  of  disinte- 
gration of  mind  cells  into  primary  elements  of 
mentality — into  that  low  ocean  of  the  commonest 
intellect  for  a fresh  struggle,  which  I should 
imagine  the  equal  of  any  literal  hell  that  has  ever 
been  described. 

The  world  has  heard  so  much  of  a hell  that 
we  rtiay  well  expect  to  find  some  low  sink  holes 
of  utterly  useless  and  rotten  human  intellect. 
Some  intellects  do  not  desire  to  progress  beyond 
the  corruption  of  this  world,  and  may  not.  Since 
they  will  not  progress,  and  since  they  cannot  re- 
main (nothing  stands  still),  they  may  be  obliged 
to  explode  just  as  an  egg  dashed  against  a wall.  I 
therefore  wonder  if  death  to  some  people,  who  do 
not  desire  a future  life  is  a breaking  up  of  the 
intellect  and  a dispelling  of  the  mental  cells,  or 
particles,  of  spirituality  constituting  a soul,  and 
whether  or  not  they  are  broken  so  fine,  that  they 
must  be  made  over  by  being  absorbed  and  recon- 
verted in  other  mental  cell  development,  as  low  as 
the  intelligence  of  insects,  or  even  in  vegetable 
life  ? I do  not  mean  that  the  whole  soul  would  be 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


103 


kept  intact,  and  become  an  insect,  or  a flower,  but 
only  that  the  tiniest  particles  of  his  exploded  men- 
tal cells,  as  distinguished  from  material  cells,  may 
be  absorbed  and  reshaped  to  merely  stimulate 
some  other  form  of  life,  started  and  existing  un- 
der the  known  laws  of  nature. 

Worlds  may  have  been  destroyed  and  this 
earth  received  much  of  its  accretion  from  their 
fragments  in  the  showers  of  meteors  which  come 
within  its  attraction.  Human  bodies  developing 
through  our  millions  of  annual  births  are  grow- 
ing, as  explained,  by  cell  expansion  of  the  original 
tissues,  but  nourished,  and  fed,  so  as  to  enable  a 
re-conversion  of  animal  and  vegetable  cells  to  the 
same  form  as  the  tissues  of  our  bodies  in  order  to 
permit  this  division  and  expansion  previously  re- 
called. 

Does  it  not  follow  that  mind,  and  matter, 
which  have  so  long  and  closely  associated,  would, 
like  all  associates  in  nature,  develop  similar  traits 
in  many  particlulars  ? Therefore,  the  strong  and 
vigorous  mind  may  attract  these  meteors  of  in- 
tellect, in  various  combinations,  thrown  off  from 
the  minds  of  living,  or  departed  intellects,  like  the 
earth  attracts  its  brilliant  constellation  of  earth 
cells  from  disintegrated  worlds.  The  mind  of  a 
mighty  man,  who  intends  to  live  on,  may  strength- 
en itself  by  absorbing  the  particles  of  intellect,  or 
whole  ideas,  from  the  oceans  of  intellect  that 
come  within  the  range  of  his  attraction,  and  which 
he  makes  his  own  by  a mental  process  similar  to 


104 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


that  by  which  cells  of  matter  from  plants  and  ani- 
mals are  reconverted,  or  metamorphosed,  and 
made  his  own  in  bodily  growth. 

There  are  certainly  both  high  and  low  orders 
of  life.  A man’s  soul  is  the  highest  conception 
of  life.  If  organized,  it  is  capable  of  growth.  If 
it  grows,  it  is  complex  and  additions,  or  cells,  of 
mentality  are  added  probably  like  they  are  added 
to  material  growth.  It  would  follow  that  these 
mental  cells  may  be  separated.  This  separation 
is  personality  annihilation — good-bye  to  yourself 
— it  is  hell. 

This  leads  us  squarely  to  the  question  of 
whether  the  soul  is  simple  or  compound.  It  would 
appear  by  analogy  that  it  is  both.  It  was  simple, 
as  it  started  in  the  nucleus  of  the  first  spiritual 
cell,  that  parted  in  company  with  the  first  ma- 
terial cell.  By  expansion  and  division,  if  it  oper- 
ates like  matter,  with  which  it  simultaneously  ap- 
pears, it  becomes  the  pattern  spiritual  cell,  which 
never  had  an  additional  number  of  compound  cells, 
excepting  as  this  one  created  them  by  division, 
with  which  to  think,  act  and  co-operate.  They 
are,  while  in  development,  made  up  of  many  cells 
under  the  influences  of  the  original  soul  cell. 
While  the  additions  appear  to  make  it  complex, 
none  of  these  spiritual  cells  could  be  annexed  as 
they  were  constituted,  but  all  are  spiritually  ab- 
sorbed, reworked,  or  changed,  and  thus  adopted 
as  a part  and  as  associates,  of  the  one  original  ego. 
Each  cell,  while  once  independent,  later  becomes  a 
part  of  the  central  soul.  In  a peculiar  way  each 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


105 


soul  is  independent  and  still  associated  with  its 
soul  subjects,  and  yet  in  another  way  it  is  a 
part  of  the  great  Infinite  to  which  it  retui*ns  for 
some  unknown  reason  as  later  herein  mentioned, 
illustrated  with  the  Medusa  colony,  referred  to 
next  herein. 

Two  comparisons  of  complex  organizations 
may  aid  us  in  understanding  a third — the  won- 
derful organizations  of  mind  particles  constitut- 
ing the  soul. 

First : Attention  is  directed  to  what  has  been 
said  of  man’s  bodily  organization  of  material  cells 
to  perform  the  various  offices  of  the  body  by 
each  set  of  cells — the  distributed  intelligence  and 
the  central  intelligence. 

Second;  Nature  reveals  a clearer  illustra- 
tion of  this  in  the  Medusa,  known  as  the  sea 
nettle  or  jelly  fish.  They  are  raised  in  colonies, 
each  member  an  identity,  but  held  together  by 
segments  and  connected  by  something  similar  to 
a nervous  and  circulation  system.  The  micro- 
scopic yeast  cells,  we  may  observe  any  day,  are 
produced  by  cell  divisions  which  are  slow  to  sep- 
arate and  remain  in  chains  or  groups  perhaps  to 
co-operate.  But  the  Medusa,  holding  together  in 
much  the  same  way,  being  large  enough  to  ob- 
serve, goes  far  beyond  this,  demonstrating  its 
wonderful  co-operative  work.  In  this  colony  a 
part  devote  almost  their  sole  energy  to  dividing  or 
casting  off  for  reproduction  as  a foundation  for 
new  colonies,  and  another  part  assumes  the  spe- 
cial duty  of  defense  and  conquest.  Still  others 


Jelly  Pish 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


107 


perform  the  function  of  digesting — one  continu- 
ous round  of  banqueting  for  the  benefit  of  all 
others  who  share  in  nutrition  without  the  labor 
of  eating.  In  the  same  manner  of  division  of 
duties  other  marvelous  work  is  accomplished. 

Haeckel  says  of  this  species  of  life,  described 
also  as  a glorious  spectacle,  compared  to  a floating 
flower  bush  with  leaves,  blossoms  and  fruit, 
which  appear  like  polished  crystal  of  most  grace- 
ful forms  and  delicate  colors — an  unforgetable 
wonder  to  behold : 

‘‘As  in  a community  of  ants,  so  in  the  Siphonophore 
republic  a number  of  differently  formed  animals  have 
combined  into  a kind  of  higher  social  organization.  But, 
while  in  the  republic  of  ants,  which  is  of  a much  higher 
order,  the  ideal  bond  of  social  interests  and  that  of  a 
political  sense  of  duty  unites  all  the  individuals  as  free 
and  independent  citizens,  in  the  Siphonophore  republic 
the  members  of  the  community  are  by  bodily  connection 
riveted  like  slaves  directly  to  the  yoke  of  their  communal 
unity.  Still  even  in  this  close  coherence  each  person  is 
endowed  with  an  individual  soul  of  its  own.  If  severed 
from  the  common  stem,  it  cannot  move  about  and  live 
and  have  an  independent  being.  The  entire  sea-nettle,  as 
a whole,  also  possesses  a will  of  its  own,  a central  will, 
on  which  the  single  individual  depends.  It  possesses  a 
common  sensation  which  at  once  communicates  the  per- 
ceptions of  the  single  individuals  to  all  the  others.  . . . 

“Woe  to  any  Medusa  that,  in  the  infatuation  of  ego- 
tism, would  break  away  from  the  communal  stock  in  order 
to  lead  an  independent  life.  Unable  to  perform  all  the 
particular  functions  that  are  indispensable  to  its  self 
preservation,  most  of  which  were  performed  by  its  several 
fellow-citizens,  it  needs  soon  perish  if  it  be  detached  from 
its  old  companions.  For  one  Medusa  of  the  Siphonophore 


RHODODENDRON. 


PASSION-FLOWER. 


CLARKIA  ELEGANS. 


GARDEN  WILLOW-UERR. 


■TIGER  LILY.  THE  NIPPLE-CACTUS. 


SCOTCH  PINE. 


NASTURTIUM, 


DESIGN  AND  BEAUTY  OP  POLLEN 


SNOW  CRYSTALS  (After  Bentley)- Harpers 


110 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


can  only  float,  another  only  feel,  a third  only  feed,  a 
fourth  only  catch  prey  and  repel  enemies,  etc.  Only  the 
harmonious  co-operation  and  the  reciprocal  support  of  all 
its  members,  only  the  communal  consciousness,  only  the 
central  soul,  linking  all  together  in  bonds  of  faithful  love, 
can  impart  a lasting  stability  to  the  existence  of  both  the 
individuals  and  their  totality.” 

Third:  From  this  illustration  and  the  first 

(man’s  body)  we  may  fairly  presume,  for  want 
of  a better  comparison,  that  a man’s  soul  is  a 
finer,  more  delicate.  Medusa-like  colony  of  intel- 
lect, perhaps  to  progress  under  leadership  of  the 
Source  of  all  souls. 

I ask  you  now,  what  is  impossible  in  nature  ? 
What  is  impossible  with  the  Infinite?  Why  not 
expect  a wonderful,  complex,  spiritual  organiza- 
tion of  mind  particles  in  preference  to  a disor- 
ganized, misty  force,  when  even  the  dusty  pollen 
of  flowers  are  beautiful,  intelligently  designed, 
crystaline  forms;  when  even  the  mold  upon  neg- 
lected food  is  a miniature  jungle  and  forest;  and 
every  flake  of  snow  that  falls,  although  different 
from  every  other,  seems  to  have  been  designed 
by  an  artist? 

These  snowflakes  and  all  crystals  may  seem 
mysterious  but  for  real  mystery  follow  Macfie’s 
description  of  a cell : 

“It  is  very  strange  that  a little  association  of  carbon, 
hydrogen,  oxygen  and  nitrogen  should  have  the  power  of 
adding  to  their  number,  and  it  is  stranger  still  that  the 
addition  should  take  such  shape,  and  produce  such  a 
mechanism  as  a multicellular  organism.  If  a brick  were 
to  grow  into  a pile  of  bricks,  and  if  the  bricks  were  to 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


111 


arrange  themselves  in  the  form  of  a cathedral,  what  a 
miracle  it  would  seem;  yet  every  day  single  cells  grow 
into  heaps  of  cells,  and  the  heaps  of  cells  arrange  them- 
selves into  trees,  and  flowers,  and  birds,  and  beasts,  and 
men  and  no  one  seems  particularly  surprised.” 

What  force  moves  in  this  mysterious  way? 
Is  a soul  not  more  mysterious  than  a cell? 

By  analogy  we  show  all  space  is  filled  with 
ether.  We  do  not  see  it,  or  know  of  it  by  any  di- 
rect sense  recognition.  We  know  the  energy 
bringing  heat  and  light  from  the  sun  travels  by 
wave  action  which  it  produces  wherever  we  have 
analyzed  its  motion.  We  assume  there  is  a sub- 
stance susceptible  to  this  wave  movement  as  a 
natural  means  of  conveyance,  because  this  wave 
traveling  element  comes  to  us.  Ether  is  in  a sim- 
ilar class  to  electricity  or  gravity,  in  that  we  dis- 
cover the  existence  of  either  of  them  usually  by 
what  it  does  to  other  things,  or  what  other  things 
do  with  it. 

In  the  same  manner  that  we  assume  the  ex- 
istence of  ether  we  may  assume  a soul.  We  do 
so  by  inquiring  into  the  plan  and  method  of  all 
of  the  work  of  the  Infinite.  If  an  Infinite  In- 
telligence made  up  the  whole  material  universe 
of  suns  and  stars  by  a combination  of  infinites- 
mal  parts;  if  plants  and  insects  and  animals  are 
all  produced  and  grow  by  cell  division  and  ex- 
pansion; if  all  creation  is  complex  and  therefore 
subject  to  division  and  re-division,  may  we  not 
conclude  that  the  Author  of  this  universal  work 
adopted  such  a universal  system  as  a principle 


Wild  Morning  Glory  Vines 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


113 


of  all  of  the  rest  of  His  handiwork?  If  this 
principle  exists  in  all  we  have  known,  and  all  we 
discover  in  the  unlimited  diversity  of  the  ma- 
terial world,  how  can  we  assert  that  God  has 
withheld  that  principle  from  the  rest  of  His 
work  which  we  do  not  see — from  the  soul  of  man  ? 

When  the  physical  cells  of  men  are  cast  off, 
mental  cells,  or  cells  of  life — the  germs  of  souls — 
are  cast  off  and  start  independent  careers. 

We  have  all  been  astounded  in  learning  of 
the  magnitude  of  the  universe  and  being  in- 
formed the  sun  is  revolving  on  its  axis  and  is 
also  traveling  in  an  almost  uncomprehensible 
circle,  carrying  its  circling  solar  system  of 
globes,  continually  revolving  around  it,  or  con- 
versely, as  our  moon  revolves  upon  its  axis,  and 
around  this  earth  and  with  the  earth  around  the 
sun  and  also  with  it  around  the  greater  uncalcu- 
lated orbit  of  the  sun.  But  pause  a moment. 

* * * 

Go  out  into  your  garden  and  be  surprised  with 
the  knowledge  that  every  morning  glory  vine 
twines  itself  around  supporting  stalks  from  left 
to  right.  This  is  substantially  true  of  every  ten- 
dril of  every  vine.  Why  is  this  true?  It  cannot 
be  caused  by  the  wind,  or  the  sun,  or  the  motion 
of  the  earth,  or  any  commonly  known  physical 
force,  because  the  same  phenomena  appears  be- 
low the  equator  as  above,  and  it  also  appears  in 
every  spiral  shell  of  the  sea.  Being  there  and 


114 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


upon  moving  animals,  it  explodes  any  theory  of 
such  causes  as  those  mentioned.  We  know  that 
as  features  are  transmitted  so  are  habits  as  pre- 
viously mentioned.  We  know  that  as  these  fam- 
ily traits  are  handed  down,  so  may  the  back  bone 
always  appear  in  one  great  family  of  life  known 
as  the  vertebrae.  In  the  same  way  as  we  find 
the  vertebra  of  one  branch  of  life  a family  mark, 
so  is  the  astronomical  circle  a mark  of  universal 
brotherhood  of  all  life.  The  animal  kingdom,  the 
vegetable  kingdom  and  the  mineral  kingdom  all 
bear  abundant  proof  of  a great  family  trait  of  the 
universal  mind  in  this  tendency  towards  a paren- 
tal desire  to  circle  from  left  to  right.  That  ten- 
dency to  circle  in  all  embryo,  and  much  of  later 
life,  is  an  evidence  of  intelligence.  There  is  a 
mind  force  and  not  mere  resultant  haphazard  phy- 
sical force.  It  is  intention  rather  than  chance. 
But  what  universal  law  fixed  and  emplanted  it  I 
do  not  know.  It  is  not  from  east  to  west  or  north 
to  south,  but  it  is  from  within  the  being.  Viewing 
it  from  within  the  being,  it  is  from  right  to  left, 
but  viewing  it  from  our  standpoint,  outside  it  Is 
from  our  left  towards  our  right.  It  is  directed  from 
left  to  right  as  unerringly  as  the  tender  shoot 
twines  or  bends  and  pushes  its  way  upward.  It 
is  a very  slight  proof  of  our  assertion  that  matter 
is  the  product  of  intelligence  rather  than,  that  in- 
telligence is  a product  of  matter,  and  a very 
strong  proof  of  a family  trait  connecting  the  ani- 
imal  and  vegetable  kingdoms  with  the  scheme 
of  evolution. 


116 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


The  study  of  embryology  and  interesting  ex- 
amination of  the  backbone,  so  similar  in  a certain 
large  class  of  animals,  goes  a long  way  in  es- 
tablishing evidence  of  evolution.  This  great  fam- 
ily feature  proves  a very  long  age  of  existence,  and 
ties  together  in  relationship,  a long  list  of  very 
different  animals.  But  let  us  take  another  in- 
herent force  cropping  out  here  and  there.  We 
have  often  read  speculations  on  why  a man  is  nor- 
rhally  right-handed.  When  this  is  answered,  per- 
haps the  wise  man  will  also  tell  us  why  the  hali- 
but and  flounder  almost  invariably  lay  on  the  left 
side,  with  the  right  the  upper  and  active  side'.' 
The  fish  are  indeed  right-handed.  As  stated,  all 
sea  shells  with  spiral  growth  develop  from  left 
to  right  as  twining  vines  climb  their  support 
winding  from  left  to  right. 

Does  this  not  indicate  a family  relation  be- 
tween man,  animal  and  vegetable,  antedating  the 
origin  of  the  backbone  millions  and  millions  of 
years?  Is  there  not  some  force  still  existing  in 
divergent  forms  of  life  inherited  from  a time  be- 
fore this  world  existed?  But  the  unanswerable 
question  is,  what  created  this  force  that  has  con- 
tinued so  long? 

If  man  developed  through  such  a pathway  as 
materialists  point  out  from  and  among  other  steps, 
a mere  cell  of  a plant,  preserving  this  tendency 
even  of  vines,  does  that  not  indicate  that  this  cell 
must  have  developed  from  an  earlier  source,  and 
will  it  not  be  discovered  to  have  existed  before 
anything  physical  existed?  If  it  came  from  a 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


117 


state  anterior  to  a physical  state,  it  must  have 
come  from  a metaphysical  state.  If  life  came 
from  that  state,  abides  here  a while,  and  leaves 
this  physical  state,  does  it  not  return  to  the  meta- 
physical state? 

When  man  has  developed  this  life  part  so 
big,  way  past  the  intelligence  of  plants  and  ani- 
mals and  has  such  confidence  in  his  consciousness 
and  regards  it  as  so  supreme  in  his  makeup,  why 
would  he  not  claim  a soul  for  the  human  being 
although  doubting  such  exists  in  the  great  care- 
less class  beneath  him,  and  although  acknowl- 
edging that  his  body  developed  from  the  same 
origin — an  origin  even  earlier  than  the  birth  of 
the  world  upon  which  we  are  now  existing. 

These  things  show  more  than  mere  evolu- 
tion on  this  earth  because  they  show  evolution 
from  a state  of  existence  beyond  this  world.  That 
is  all  for  which  the  man  of  religion  is  contending. 
He  denies  that  we  are  a mere  product  of  the 
physical  matter  of  this  earth.  He  says  we  are 
the  sons  of  a spiritual  force.  We  can  prove  it  by 
.these  little  trifles  I am  mentioning.  Not  one 
alone,  but  a thousand.  Everything  we  examine 
and  analyze,  may  be  traced  back  to  a Divinity, 
whether  it  be  the  force  of  right-handedness,  or 
conception  and  birth,  or  a knowledge  of  insects 
and  germs,  or  the  movements  of  planets  and  con- 
stellations. 

* * * 

The  circle  is  indeed  a mystery  of  creation. 
The  rational,  reasoning,  hard-headed,  scientific 


SPIRAL  NEBULA 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


119 


materialists,  running  these  circles  back  to  a time 
when  worlds  are  reduced  to  grains  of  sand,  and 
sand  or  other  material,  is  separated  and  reduced 
to  gases,  and  vapor,  and  primordial  matter,  then 
they  commence  to  build  it  up  again  under  syn- 
thetic philosophy.  They  say  some  force  starts 
a circle — they  call  it  a “vortex” — ^which  goes  on, 
and  on,  growing  by  the  union  of  other  forces, 
until  we  behold  a spiral  nebulae,  and  then  a world 
is  born. 

At  the  other  extreme  we  learn  electrons  are 
spinning  around,  with  terrific  force,  and  circling 
in  orbits,  within  the  atom,  as  the  more  compre- 
hensible solar  system  moves.  After  we  recover 
from  such  a shock,  and  return  to  a consideration 
of  the  opinions  of  astronomers,  it  is  only  one 
step  farther  for  a philosopher  to  say  this  first 
small  vortex  ring,  or  parental  ring,  had  a germ 
or  nucleus  of  mentality,  to  start  with,  and  at- 
tracted particles  to  the  mere  idea,  against  which 
there  was  no  resistance.  This  nucleus  of  mental- 
ity, if  thrown  off  by  nature,  in  the  usual  manner 
of  nature’s  work,  would  be  started  as  the  circle 
of  a cell  is  started. 

In  our  botanies  we  learn  that  throughout 
the  whole  field  of  vegetable  life  every  seed  and 
every  bud  and  sprout  germinates  in  the  form  of 
a circle.  Likewise  by  investigations  in  biology, 
it  is  seen  the  whole  insect  and  animal  world  is 
governed  in  the  same  way  and  starts  life,  as  man 
does,  curled  in  the  same  mystic  circle. 


120 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


Why  is  not  a soul  unfolded  without  a mem- 
ory, under  the  same  principle  of  nature  as  a cir- 
cular cell  of  matter  is  unfolded  or  rolled  into 
material  existence? 

May  not  this  also  be  true  of  even  a thought  ? 
Every  public  speaker  has  noticed  the  support 
or  depression  of  an  audience  when  unusually  in 
or  out  of  harmony  with  him.  Every  person  ha^ 
been  reminded  of  the  old  adage  “speak  of  an- 
gels and  you  hear  the  rustle  of  their  wings”  by 
the  fact  that  time  after  time  some  absent  one, 
while  being  discussed,  interrupts  with  an  uncanny, 
because  unexpected,  appearance. 

As  we  talk  of  a man  just  before  he  appears, 
we  have  often  thought  of  an  old  acquaintance, 
shortly  before  a letter  is  received  from  him.  As 
we  sit  in  our  homes,  we  sometimes  abruptly  think 
of  another  and  then  the  telephone  rings.  In  an 
instant  we  find  the  bell  was  too  slow.  The  party 
calling  was  the  one  of  which  we  were  previously 
thinking.  Again,  we  think  of  an  invention,  but 
read  an  announcement  from  the  man  who  has 
beaten  us  to  it.  A wave  of  public  sentiment,  time 
after  time,  sweeps  over  the  country,  like  a great 
cloud  crosses  the  sky.  All  these  things,  so  gen- 
erally noticed,  by  our  hundred  millions  of  people, 
and  the  rest  of  the  world,  for  each  generation, 
over  and  again,  conclusively  shows  that  they  are 
not  coincidences.  These  circumstances  are  of 
such  recurrence,  that  the  old  adage,  “speak  of  the 
devil  and  his  imps  will  appear,”  can  never  be  for- 
gotten. These  things  must  not  be  disregarded,  by 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


121 


men  as  cattle  disregard  so  many  common  things 
they  see.  Our  duty  demands  that  we  account  for 
such  persistent  recurrences. 

If  one  mind,  merely  by  thought,  affects  an- 
other in  this  first  delicate  suggestion,  as  shown, 
we  may  speculate  on  how  it  is  done.  Is  this  en- 
ergy in  long  unbroken  shafts,  connecting  the  two, 
or  is  it  by  usual  circular  cell-like  particles?  Is 
it  not  sent  out  like  the  light  and  heat  giving 
energy  which,  when  given  off,  separates  from  its 
source  and  travels  on  independently  until  it 
reaches  the  object  absorbing  it?  If  this  reason- 
able hypothesis  is  true,  why  may  we  not  pick  up 
some  of  the  ideas  thrown  off  by  men  although 
death  results  before  being  absorbed  by  those  who 
are  living?  If  this  be  true,  why  may  we  not  carry 
it  further  and  concede  that  thought  energy  may 
be  picked  up,  although  it  may  have  started  as  far 
back  as  the  light  of  some  of  the  distant  stars, 
which,  though  started  6000  years  ago,  is  just 
reaching  us,  or  from  some  source  of  intelligence 
in  a different  sphere  from  living  men  of  today. 

The  assertion  that  mind  is  a function  of  the 
brain,  just  as  bile  is  a secretion  of  the  liver,  is  a 
very  much  overworked  proposition  by  physical 
materialists.  This  class  of  men,  because  their 
feet  rest  upon  the  earth,  made  up  of  the  skele- 
tons and  carcasses  of  life,  and  knowing  that 
there  must  have  been  an  origin  of  all  things,  be- 
lieve that  intelligence  is  the  product  of  matter, 
and  assume  that  mind  is  a secretion,  because  of 
its  localization  in,  or  operation  through  the 


122 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


brain.  Because  they  see  more  of  matter  than  of 
intellect,  they  think  it  is  a mere  chemical  pro- 
duction, I will  agree  that,  as  everything  is  traced 
back,  it  narrows,  and  simplifies,  and  discards  its 
branches  and  complex  developments.  We  trace 
matter  back,  division  after  division,  as  it  was 
formed  by  its  accompanying  life,  but  we  never 
have  yet  shown  where  life  was  distilled  from 
lifeless  matter.  The  tendency  would  be  towards 
the  establishment  of  the  opposite  view,  viz,:  that 
matter  came  from  life,  vitality  or  mind.  When 
we  have  reduced  the  substance  of  apparently  in- 
animate matter  to  the  electron,  spinning  and 
whirling  with  greater  speed  than  the  planets,  we 
are  obliged  to  try  and  compare  its  infinitesimal 
material  body  with  its  terrific  speed,  vitality,  or 
life.  This  vitality  is  its  main  element,  but  its  body 
— the  matter — is  almost  nil.  If  everything  was 
once  an  electron  and  possessed  of  such  speed,  per- 
sistence and  vitality,  there  can  be  no  more  than 
one  or  two  steps  farther  to  pure  thought,  which 
has  more  speed  than  even  the  electron,  for  it  is  in- 
stantaneous. Since  mind  and  matter  could  not 
have  originated  simultaneously — but  one  must 
have  been  the  product  of  the  other — I prefer  be- 
lieving that  mind  is  more  perfect,  possessed  of 
more  vitality;  hence  is  older  and  superior  to 
matter.  It  follows  that  matter  is  more  likely  to 
be  the  product  of  mind,  than  mind  the  product  of 
matter. 

Upon  the  question  of  mind  being  a secretion 
of  the  brain,  what  will  you  say  of  the  man  who  lis- 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


123 


tens  to  a conversation  thus  unfolding  a wonderful 
and  perfect  idea?  The  man  who  hears  it  and  ac- 
cepts it,  manufactures  nothing  from  his  brain, 
but  he  merely  receives  an  idea  by  means  of  hear- 
ing and  sight.  The  man  who  unfolded  it  created 
nothing,  but  perhaps  an  accident  or  long  experi- 
ence, taught  it  to  him,  and  he  saw  a universal 
principle  that  he  related.  Man  uses  his  brain  as 
a receiver,  whether  voluntarily,  or  involuntarily, 
and  by  his  judgment  and  interest  or  lack  of  in- 
terest separates,  or  sifts  out  and  rejects  all 
thoughts  which  are  not  of  interest  to  him.  He 
makes  nothing  in  the  thought  line,  but  rather 
gathers  it  as  a matter  of  educational  development. 

Mentality  is  so  strong  and  so  attractive,  or 
repellant,  that  it  is  often  compared  to  the  instru- 
ments of  wireless  telegraphy.  As  we  desire  to 
make  ourselves  better  or  worse  in  a spiritual  or 
material  way  in  any  branch  of  development,  we 
attune  ourselves  to  that  environment,  or  vibration 
by  thinking  upon  the  subject  and  receive  thoughts 
and  ideas  as  we  desire.  In  this  way  we  enlarge 
the  ego  according  to  the  growth  desired.  “As  a 
man  thinketh  in  his  heart  so  is  he.”  To  dwell 
upon  evil  with  fear  is  only  another  way  of  inviting 
it  by  thus  attuning  our  souls  to  receive  the  things 
we  fear.  It  is  asserted  that  to  repel  a condition 
feared  it  is  necessary  to  find  the  antithesis  which 
will  automatically  dispel  that  not  desired  by  mak- 
ing the  mind  a welcome  place  for  the  vibration  of 
that  which  will  take  the  place  of  and  crowd  out 
all  thoughts  and  their  products  which  are  the 


124 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


objects  of  fear.  How  natural  it  has  ever  been  to 
have  the  information  or  means  of  doing  things 
revealed  after  constant  desire,  when  unneutralized 
by  the  negative  force  of  fear.  Desire  will  not 
bring  things  to  us  through  a modern  express  com- 
pany or  on  a tray,  but  only  the  mental  means  or 
knowledge  of  the  power  of  accomplishment.  It 
is  a demonstrable  fact  that  “faith  without  works 
availeth  naught.” 

These  things  indicate  the  evolution  of  each 
soul  from  an  inconceivable  primative  start,  and  the 
powerful  energy  of  the  soul  to  gather  all  its  de- 
sires at  the  proper  season  without  the  necessity 
of  an  eternal  past  memory.  Memory  has  not  been 
as  necessary  as  we  would  suppose  excepting  as  it 
has  been  developed  for  local  emergencies  and  new 
accomplishments.  Memory  seems  to  be  a mere 
pilot-light  for  the  development  of  instinct,  in  in- 
stinct following  animals,  and  character  in  higher 
life.  As  soon  as  its  function  is  performed  memory 
leaves  and  habits  are  the  results.  Instinct,  or 
character,  appears  to  be  the  consolidation  of  so 
many  memory  particles  that  it  becomes  a crystal- 
ized  part  of  the  creature’s  nature,  handed  down  by 
means  of  separation  and  division  of  the  impressed 
parental  cells. 

Instinct  is  naturally  more  highly  developed 
in  the  lower  animals,  such  as  some  insects,  than  in 
man  for  the  reason  that  these  insects  existed 
millions  of  years  before  man  arrived  and  they  re- 
tained and  relied  upon  this  inherited  memory, 
while  man,  a newer  arrival,  converted  the  same 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


125 


energy,  and  this  organism,  if  such  it  is,  in  the 
other  direction — the  future. 

Considering  the  manner  of  propagation  in 
every  form  of  animal  life  as  traceable  to  some 
form  of  separation  from  a continuous  existing 
life,  and  an  inherited  product  of  memory,  and  we 
may  begin  to  understand  the  marvelous  seemingly 
intelligent  acts  of  some  of  the  insects.  Without 
the  necessity  of  distinct  memory,  but  only  by  the 
aid  of  its  product,  so-called  instinct,  some  species 
perform  skillful  surgical  operations  exactly  as 
their  millions  of  billions  of  ancestors  have  done. 
They  do  these  things  as  innately  as  the  tissues  for 
a human  body  by  their  own  volition  carry  out 
a reorganization  for  a new  human  birth.  No  dis- 
tinct ancient  memory — a sort  of  mirror  or  looking 
glass  reflection  of  reality — is  necessary  for  a 
settled  instinct  condition,  where  knowledge  has 
become  an  inherent  part  of  the  creature. 

Is  it  mere  guess-work  on  the  part  of  the  para- 
site that  causes  it  to  attack  the  cabbage  worm,  and 
sting  its  eggs  in  the  flesh,  there  to  hatch  in  the 
midst  of  the  fresh  tissues  of  the  worm  which  re- 
mains alive  to  support  this  horde  of  aliens?  Is  it 
an  accident  that  the  young,  so  hatched,  never  de- 
vour the  vital  parts  of  the  worm,  which  would 
mean  their  own  starvation,  but  subsist  on  the 
tissues,  the  destruction  of  which  does  not  result 
in  an  immediate  fatality?  What  can  be  said  of 
the  wasp  that  stings  its  prey  so  carefully,  always 
the  same  place,  a nerve  center,  and  some  victims 
in  eight  distinct  nerve  centers,  only  paralyzing. 


126 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


not  killing  the  quarry,  which  it  stores,  preserved 
in  their  own  vitality  for  the  young? 

I have  cited  above  only  two  instances  of  a 
large  number  of  established  practices,  some  of 
which  are  marvels  of  intelligence,  far  surpassing 
the  two  given.  These  illustrations  of  insect  in- 
telligence, handed  down  for  ages,  are  but  the 
product  of  composite  experiences,  balanced  against 
each  other,  and  prorated,  as  they  are  passed  on  to 
the  prevailing  species.  This  apparent  result  is  the 
delicate,  but  directing  intuition,  we  call  an  instinct. 

Man  has  abandoned  this  pre-birth  memory, 
or  instinct,  to  give  heed  to  his  newer  senses  and 
mechanical  extensions  thereof  and  to  look  to  the 
present,  and  future  rather,  than  the  musty  past. 
The  lower  organizations  are  the  same  thing  over, 
and  over,  again.  All  crickets,  bees,  ants,  flies  and 
moths,  of  any  particular  variety,  look  exactly 
alike,  because  they  obey  their  instincts  and  act 
exactly  alike.  They  depend  upon  this  inherited,  or 
preserved,  memory-sensing  of  the  past  for  their 
guidance.  They  will  always  remain  the  same  and 
never  progress,  because  of  obeying  instinct  rather 
than  aspiring  for  the  improvements  which  gave  to 
man  the  “breath  of  life”  that  made  him  a con- 
tinuous living  soul. 

For  the  thousands  of  years  that  mankind  was 
more  inclined  to  stop  than  advance,  following  the 
precedent  of  the  times  and  ridiculing  all  innova- 
tion, no  great  advancement  was  made.  But  what 
may  we  not  now  expect  from  the  free  education 
adopted  only  a generation  or  so  ago? 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


127 


I believe  the  element  of  hope  in  the  human 
race,  and  faith  in  the  future,  which  are  developing, 
are  the  result  of  having  actually  picked  up  the 
sense  of  instinct,  which  once  trailed  along  behind, 
keeping  us  in  the  same  course,  and  projecting  it 
so  as  to  feel  out  and  sense  tne  future  in  connection 
with  the  other  new  senses  we  possess. 

I repeat  we  have  no  distinct  pre-birth  memory 
that  the  soul  would  recognize  because  we  have 
I'econverted  or  lost  the  instinct  sense  and  do  not 
try  to  exercise  it,  or  even  to  give  any  credence  to 
superstition,  its  last  and  now  unreliable  ragged 
remnant. 

How  does  this  suggestion  harmonize  with  the 
fact  that  we  would  question  the  statement  of  any 
man  who  claims  to  remember  any  single  incident 
happening  within  three,  or  six  months,  or  a year, 
after  his  birth?  Why  is  it  that  the  memory  of 
even  the  best  of  us  is  so  unreliable  after  a few 
years,  and  why  is  there  so  much  controversy  be- 
tween people  who  hear  and  see  the  same  things  at 
the  same  time?  It  is  largely  because  memory  is 
a mere  hand-maid  to  recall  evidences  during  the 
analytical  period,  when  ideas  are  being  considered 
for  absorption,  as  a part  of  a man’s  nature,  or  for- 
gotten and  cast  off  with  all  mental  excreta.  If 
we  do  not  remember  the  large  percentage  of  in- 
cidents of  mortal  life,  why  should  we  remember 
details  of  foreign  incidents  previous  to  birth  when 
we  were  only  a subservient  spiritual  cell  of  a soul. 

There  is  an  inherited  memory  of  an  ancestral 
life  and  an  unconscious  memory  of  incidents  of  the 


128 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


present  being.  Of  the  latter  class  of  memory, 
may  I be  permitted  to  give  a personal  experience  ? 
This  is  so  delicate  an  example  that  one  could  easily 
wonder  whether  it  was  in  fact  recalled  or  an  idea 
from  some  unknowable  source  of  ideas. 

A few  years  ago,  as  his  attorney,  I was  de- 
fending a man  charged  with  placing  a suit 
case  filled  with  dynamite  on  the  doorstep 
of  another,  arranged  with  a loaded  and 
cocked  revolver,  the  trigger  of  which  was  at- 
tached to  the  floor  by  a string,  so  as  to  ex- 
plode the  cartridge  and  dynamite  when  the  suit 
case  was  lifted.  The  suit  case  was  found  at  2:50 
P.  M.,  May  22,  1910,  and  the  time  positively  fixed 
by  four  people  who  consulted  their  watches  at  the 
moment.  Two  little  girls  indentified  the  defen- 
dant and  the  suit  case  claiming  that  at  2 :30  they 
walked  behind  this  man,  imitating  the  limp  in  his 
walk,  until  he  turned  up  the  alley,  back  of  the 
house,  where  the  alleged  infernal  machine  was 
found.  Three  other  witnesses  identified  the  man 
with  the  suit  case  and  the  witnesses  also  claimed 
the  little  girls  were  behind  him  limping  and  laugh- 
ing. On  cross  examination,  I learned  these  little 
girls  were  on  their  way  home  from  church,  six- 
teen blocks  distant,  where  they  had  been  photo- 
graphed with  a confirmation  class.  Believing 
my  client  innocent,  and  being  compelled  to  work 
against  such  tremendous  odds,  and  having  such 
little  hope  in  sight,  I personally  examined  every 
trace  of  evidence  without  permitting  assistants  to 
disturb  it  before  I could  investigate.  I called  on  the 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


129 


pastor  of  the  church,  and  inquired  for  the  photo- 
graph, expecting  to  find  a photographer's  imprint 
upon  it  and  in  this  way  thought  it  barely  possible 
to  find  a book  entry  and  date  inscribed  showing 
the  picture  to  have  been  taken  upon  another  Sun- 
day. But  investigation  revealed  that  an  amateur 
had  taken  the  picture  and  with  pen  and  ink  the 
date,  “May  22,  1910”  was  written  upon  it.  Al- 
though somewhat  disappointed,  I then  examined 
this  picture  very  intently  for  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes,  studying  every  detail,  in  spite  of  discour- 
agement, and  when  I concentrated  my  mind  upon  a 
shadow  prominent  in  the  picture,  I began  speculat- 
ing upon  the  angle  from  the  point  of  the  shadow  to 
the  corner  of  the  church  that  cast  this  shadow,  a 
little  south  of  west,  and  in  imagination  I projected 
this  course  out  in  space  to  the  track  in  which  the 
sun  traveled  upon  that  day.  I then  consulted  Prof. 
William  S.  Rigge  of  Creighton  University,  on  these 
astronomical  calculations.  On  the  following  day 
we  engaged  a civil  engineer,  with  a transit  and 
level  and  took  the  measurements  and  angles  from 
which  the  astronomer  testified  the  photograph 
was  taken  on  May  22,  1910,  at  3 :21  29-100  P.  M., 
or  within  one  minute  of  that  time.  From  this  evi- 
dence it  is  seen  the  girls  were  standing  upon  the 
church-steps,  having  their  picture  taken  thirty 
minutes  after  the  crime  had  been  committed,  in- 
stead of  before,  and  to  walk  sixteen  blocks  after- 
wards, taking  over  twenty  minutes  more,  would 
have  placed  them  in  the  impossible  position  of 
claiming  to  have  seen  a man  carrying  this  suit 


Astronomer  Computed  Time  of  Taking,  May  22.  1910,  within  one  minute  of  3:21^  P.  M. 


Verified  on  Anniversary  2 years  later.  Camera  snapped  at  3:21%  P.  M.,  May  22,  1912 


Caaiera  Snapped  I Minute  Before  or  3;20^  P.  M.,  May  22.  1912 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


133 


case  of  dynamite  to  the  house  one  hour  after  it 
had  already  been  carried  there.  This  elimination 
of  the  two  girls  and  their  evidence  carried  with  it 
the  elimination  of  the  other  three  witnesss  who 
positively  claimed  the  two  girls  were  behind  the 
man  they  identified.  By  the  thinest  of  defenses,  “a 
mere  shadow,”  the  accused  was  finally  acquitted. 
On  the  second  anniversary  of  the  crime,  test  pho- 
tographs were  made  and  the  accuracy  verified  as 
shown  by  illustrations  herewith. 

More  than  three  months  after  the  trial  was 
over  I remembered  that  in  some  magazine,  several 
years  before,  I had  m merely  turning  the  pages, 
observed  a picture  of  a hill,  a valley  beyond  and 
mountains  across,  and  some  very  small  trees  in  the 
foreground,  and  an  inscription  below  saying  “Can 
you  tell  the  time  from  the  picture?”  I did  not 
study  it,  or  read  about  it,  or  ever  again  see  or 
think  of  it,  until  as  I said  three  months  after  this 
trial.  Possibly,  when  the  shadow  of  the  picture 
was  being  studied,  the  association  of  ideas  re- 
called this  thought  without  recalling  the  picture 
as  the  cause  of  the  thought.  I seized  the  idea 
when  observing  the  shadow  and  vigorously  applied 
myself  to  the  case.  In  thinking  of  the  trial  during 
leisure,  after  this  long  time,  I recalled  the  maga- 
zine picture  by  the  reversed  association  of  ideas. 

As  I never  seek  a mysterious  foundation  for 
anything  under  which  I can  place  a practical  foun- 
dation, I have  been  inclined  to  believe  the  thought 
received  in  this  law  suit,  was  a recalled  subtle 
memory  as  described,  yet  others  may  think  I am 


134 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


straining  a point  to  obtain  a material  foundation. 
If  this  was  a recalled  memory,  it  is  truly  wonder- 
ful, the  same  wonder  every  individual  may  observe 
in  himself,  if  he  will  analyze  his  thoughts.  Yet 
this  example  may  be  a mere  coincidence,  as  all 
thoughts  may  not  come  from  material,  or  physical 
sense  suggestion.  Let  us  gradually  approach  a 
grander  origin  of  thoughts,  and  ideas,  that  indeed 
possess  much  mystery. 

A great  deal  of  subconscious  memory  is  util- 
ized throughout  the  life  of  all  mankind.  We  are 
daily  thinking  of  things  we  believe  are  original 
when  they  in  fact  are  the  recalled  ideas  of  our 
own  natures,  absorbed  from  something  long  pre- 
viously read  or  heard,  when  the  author  or  the  in- 
cident has  been  forgotten. 

I wish  to  call  attention  to  an  example  or  two 
of  what  some  critics  may  brand  as  plagiarism. 

Poe  was  a master  poet.  Why  should  such  a 
genius  steal?  The  same  may  be  said  of  other 
poets.  Yet,  note  the  striking  similarity  of  Poe’s 
“Raven”  with  a Chinese  poem  of  2000  years  ago. 

From  the  Literary  Digest  of  July  13,  1911,  1 
take  one  stanza  from  Kia  Yi  of  200  B.  C.,  for  mem- 
ory comparison  with  the  “Raven.” 

“Betwixt  moss-covered,  reeking  walls 
An  exiled  poet  lay — 

On  his  bed  of  straw  reclining, 

Half  despairing,  half  repining — 

When  athwart  the  window  sill. 

In  flew  a bird  of  omen  ill. 

And  seemed  inclined  to  stay. 

To  my  book  of  occult  learning 
Suddenly  I thought  of  turning,”  etc. 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


135 


Compare,  also,  Morris’  “Woodman,  Spare 
That  Tree”  with  “Kan  tang,”  which  was  an  old  ode 
written  in  the  time  of  Saul,  over  three  thousand 
years  ago,  and  collected  with  other  poems  by  Wan 
Wang  and  Duke  Chan  and  later  translated  by  Dr. 
Wells  Williams  in  his  book  on  “The  Middle  King- 
dom.” 

**Oh  fell  not  that  sweet  pear  tree: 

See  how  its  branches  spread. 

Spoil  not  its  shade, 

For  Shao's  chief  laid 
Beneath  it  his  weary  head. 

Oh  clip  not  that  sweet  pear  tree, 

Each  twig  and  leaflet  spare — 

*Tis  sacred  now, 

Since  the  lord  of  Shao 
When  weary  rested  there. 

Oh  touch  not  that  sweet  pear  tree; 

Bend  not  a twig  of  it  now; 

There  long  ago, 

As  the  stories  show, 

Oft  halted  the  chief  of  Shao.” 

While  these  inspirations  may  have  been 
coincidences,  based  upon  the  same  inquiry,  and  the 
same  responsive  hearts,  they  may  also  be  the  un- 
conscious breathing  of  a part  of  their  own  natures 
developed,  by  both,  from  the  acceptance  of  the 
same  thoughts,  more  coarsely  expressed  by  others. 
Who  is  there,  weary  and  footsore,  suffocated  and 
thirsty,  returning  to  the  shade  of  the  tree  in  his 
door  yard,  and  while  he  lay  there,  would  not  think 
of  the  possibility  of  its  destruction?  How  many 
millions  of  people  who  never  read  a line  of  poetry, 


136 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


when  so  reclining,  have  thought  “Woodmen  Spare 
That  Tree?”  What  is  more  natural  than  to  em~ 
phasize  the  same  thought  by  repeating,  “Touch 
not  a single  bough?” 

The  refreshing  shade  recalls  the  satisfaction, 
and  appreciation,  of  such  a tree  as  long  as  the 
tissues  of  man  have  been  protected  from  excessive 
noon-day  heat.  Much  as  the  same  condition  of 
low  temperature  in  either  northern  or  southern, 
latitudes  will  congeal  water  into  ice,  so  will  the 
same  conditions  and  combinations  of  circum- 
stances cause  mankind  in  different  ages  to  receive 
similar  thoughts;  they  may  be  made  profane,  or 
prayerful,  according  to  these  different  conditions. 

All  through  literature,  including  the  sacred 
Scripture,  many  examples  of  seeming  plagiarism 
appear,  as  the  stanzas  above,  which  should  not, 
in  every  case,  be  branded  as  plagiarism,  but  which 
may  be  as  easily  accounted  for  as  above  suggested, 
by  the  absorption  of  a thought,  or  a principle,  as 
a part  of  man’s  nature,  although  deserted  by  mem- 
ory. In  the  same  way  that  this  may  be  daily  ob- 
served in  the  thoughts  and  expressions  of  any 
great  speaker  concerning  what  he  has  absorbed  by 
reading,  or  suggestion,  during  his  present  exist- 
ence, why  may  he  not  also  give  some  expression  in 
his  own  language  to  the  things  he  felt  when  his 
soul  was  a mere  bud  upon  his  ancestor’s  life  and 
most  naturally  without  a memory  of  the  sentiment 
that  so  impressed  him  ? Nothing  but  this  hypothe- 
sis will  account  for  the  so-called  inherited  gestures 
and  family  traits,  thoughts,  likes,  and  dislikes,  so 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


137 


clearly  observable  throughout  the  world.  May  this 
not  be  the  basis  of  so-called  originality  and  pro- 
lific imagination  ? 

May  we  not  also  be  impressed  with  thought 
disturbances  thrown  off  by  those  who  have  died 
since  these  discharges  were  thrown  off  and  before 
being  picked  up?  Surely  if  there  is  continuity  of 
life  they  are  still  being  thrown  off  by  spiritual 
life  and  being  picked  up  by  mortal  life. 

Considering  the  whole  question  in  a rational 
way  a pre-birth  memory  is  not  necessary  or  ma- 
terial. Neither  does  a lack  of  such  memory  prove 
that  we  did  not  have  a consciousness,  ages  before 
we  were  born,  which  we  do  not  now  remember. 
Even  the  loss  of  memory  in  old  age  is  not  a sign 
of  dissolution  of  mind,  or  soul,  particles,  but  only 
the  shedding  of  a memory  function  becoming  use- 
less, that  never  had  a marvelous  endurance,  re- 
gardless of  the  fact  that  we  have  been  accustomed 
to  so  claiming. 

We  have  lost  the  limited  germ-memory  of  our 
previous  existence  in  cell  life,  excepting  as  it  is 
recognized  in  our  inherited  tendencies  of  likes  or 
dislikes  because  it  is  now  useless.  We  may  in  the 
same  manner  lose  unnecessary  parts  of  this 
mortal  memory  by  the  timely  development  and 
spiritual  birth  of  a metaphysical  seat  of  memory. 

There  may  be  a state  where  memory  is  use- 
less, when  knowledge  of  so-called  past  and  present 
stands  out  in  plain  sight,  or  is  impressed  upon 
everything  as  an  undeveloped  instrument  has 


138 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


shown  us  the  possibility  of  a magnetic  impression 
of  music  upon  a spool  of  wire. 

Dr.  Foote,  an  eminent  physician  of  Omaha, 
after  long  and  patient  microscopic  study,  feels  that 
he  is  able  to  tell  much  of  the  racial  mentality  from 
which  a man  has  descended  by  a microscopic  study 
of  a section  of  the  femer  bone.  I think  he  claims 
to  be  able  to  distinguish  much  other  very  remark- 
able data. 

Without  the  microscope  every  one  knows  that 
creases  across  the  fingernails  indicate  that  a 
severe  fever  occurred  at  a time  when  these  nails 
were  at  a period  of  formation  just  under  tne  skin, 
and  we  may  estimate  by  the  distance  it  had  grown, 
about  how  recently  this  illness  occurred. 

We  know  that  either  extreme  winter  weather, 
or  extreme  heat  of  summer  afford  conditions  to 
produce  annual  rings  to  form  on  horns  of  cattle. 
And  we  also  know  how  the  change  of  seasons  rec- 
ord themselves  in  the  rings  of  growth  apparent  in 
the  trunk  of  a tree  by  the  changed  movements  of 
sap.  What  would  be  the  result  of  preserving  a 
section  of  a modern  redwood  tree  three  or  four 
thousands  years  old  if  a thousand  microscopists 
worked  over  this  field,  comparing  the  differences 
of  these  cells  of  rings  year  by  year,  working 
backward  with  the  known  data  of  history  where 
we  have  records  of  world  famines,  droughts,  or 
floods,  or  records  of  unusual  astronomical  condi- 
tions. Does  anyone  doubt  but  that  great  knowl- 
edge could  be  extracted  from  the  record  of  such  a 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


189 


tree  just  as  Dr.  Foote  is  gaining  knowledge  from 
cell  construction  of  a bone 

We  may  not  know  why  it  is  natural  for  just 
six  beans  to  appear  in  a pod,  but  we  do  know  that 
if  there  are  less  something  was  the  matter  with 
the  rainfall,  or  season  or  perhaps  a scar  will  tell 
us  of  the  sting  of  an  insect,  or  a bruise,  to  lessen 
the  number.  There  is  even  some  message  in  a 
bean. 

If  we  hammer  upon  a board,  little  crystals  of 
dust  will  form  in  answer  to  the  number  and  force 
of  the  strokes.  From  such  a knowledge,  after 
thousands  of  years  of  ignorance,  Edison  invented 
the  phonograph  and  made  the  world  marvel. 
These  dust  crystals  paved  the  way  for  a substance 
which  records  and  preserves  the  human  voice, 
and  enables  us  to  distribute  music  of  the  world’s 
greatest  masters  into  every  humble  home. 

Is  there  a message  in  crystals  that  are  formed 
in  rocks  or  salts,  or  metals,  or  elsewhere  as  addi- 
tional history  of  the  world’s  great  movements? 
Some  things  respond  to  the  greater  cosmic  dis- 
turbances, and  others  respond  to  the  most  deli- 
cate of  vibrations. 

At  some  time  in  the  future,  snow  crystals 
may  be  understood  in  an  entirely  different  man- 
ner. Like  the  rule  of  the  circle  carrying  evidence 
of  relationship,  or  subserviency  to  the  same  law 
of  nature,  by  worlds  and  millet  seeds,  by  eggs  of 
hens  or  alligators,  so  also  may  we  hope  to  dis- 
cover why  the  rule  of  three  plays  such  a part  in 


140 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


life,  and  is  so  evident  in  crystals.  Three  arms  may 
be  coimted  crossing  every  snow  crystal  ever  found, 
or  six  hands  may  be  seen  as  invariably  as  you 
find  six  beans  in  a healthy  pod.  Since  we  claim 
everything  created  may  be  traced  back  to  men- 
tality, why  is  not  this  rule  of  three  or  triangle, 
a modified  circle  and  a product  of  that  paternal 
intelligence  inherent  in  every  crystal  as  the  back- 
bone marks  a relation  of  certain  animals,  distin- 
guishing them  from  others.  And  if  this  be  so, 
may  not  the  uncountable  millions  of  little  lacey 
variations  of  these  snow  flakes  record  impres- 
sions from  outward  disturbances  forming  them? 
There  is  one  thing  specially  notable,  and  that  is 
these  multitudenous  modifications  are  in  such  ex- 
travagant numbers  that  we  know  mere  physical 
agitation  would  not  likely  produce  them.  If  phy- 
sical, there  would  be  more  similarity  and  less  var- 
iations, but,  if  mental  agitation  could  effect  this 
congealing  substance,  there  would  be  no  limit  to 
modifications. 

Now,  I do  not  mean  to  say  that  men  could 
sit  down  and  read  continued  stories  from  crystals, 
or  sand  on  the  seashore,  or  leaves  on  the  trees, 
which  is  perfect  nonsense.  But  I do  say  that  if 
we  ever  expect  to  hear  from  Mars,  or  other  worlds, 
we  may  take  a suggestion  from  these  falling  crys- 
tals of  nature  and  prepare  various  crystalizing 
or  congealing  substances  to  study  the  effect  of 
every  kind  of  vibration  upon  such  substances, 
seeking  a key  to  a possible  intelligence  expressed 
therein. 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


141 


After  passing  this  exaggerated  speculation  in 
the  physical  world,  let  us  inquire  what  a fully  de- 
veloped mentality  may  discover.  By  a fully  de- 
veloped mentality,  I mean  one  who  is  no  longer 
restricted  by  physical  limitations ; one  who  has  left 
his  germ  environment;  lived  through  his  foetal 
evolution;  been  born  a man;  and  shed  his  body. 
The  soul  of  man  should  understand  all  of  these 
things  and  read  them  as  unerringly  as  we  follow 
the  vibration  of  a needle,  tracing  the  queer 
quivering  lines  of  a phonograph  record. 

There  must  be  a language  and  record  of 
things  for  the  hereafter,  better  developed  than  the 
language  and  record  here.  If  there  be  a soul  and 
a hereafter,  there  must  be  a language  and  a record. 
It  is  not  improper  for  a man  of  religion  to  think 
of  this.  Such  a language  and  record  may  be 
learned  then,  as  every  baby  born  in  this  world 
must  within  a few  months  commence  to  learn  its 
language.  An  ear  drum  of  the  physical  body  is 
used  only  in  this  Ufe.  Therefore  the  next  life  may 
require  a reeducation  unless  we  are  made  to  know, 
as  Plato  intimates,  because  of  discarding  physical 
hindrances  to  knowledge.  Ordinary  memory  may 
be  a physical  function  merely  connected  with  the 
physical  part  of  life.  A physical  record  may  be 
what  we  see,  hear,  taste,  feel,  or  smell.  Having 
so  generally  relied  on  these  five  physical  senses, 
I think  the  faculty  of  memory  has  not  risen  much 
above  the  physical,  because  of  our  habits  of  so 
limiting  the  function. 


142 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 

Upon  the  thought  of  this  unconscious  memory 
mentioned  before  this  discussion  let  us  inquire  if 
a mother’s  love  is  a new  creation,  because  she  does 
not  remember  a previous  ecstasy  or  is  it  the  same 
thing  over  and  over  again  ? When  a young  heart 
meets  an  affinity  is  it  a new  and  strange  sensa- 
tion, or  is  it  a natural  satisfying  bliss,  that  it  has 
yearned  for  and  recognizes  when  it  comes  ? Who 
cares  for  ancient  memories  when  he  recognizes 
that  he  possesses  his  developed  new  nature  of  to- 
day which  has  been  ages  in  the  building?  Al- 
though we  do  not  remember  it,  we  have  had  a soul 
long  before  we  were  born,  as  truly  as  the  limb  of 
an  elm  was  the  nucleous  of  a cell  that  formed  the 
bud  for  its  sprouting  birth. 


REINCARNATION  DOUBTED 
CHAPTER  XIII. 

A soul  came  from  somewhere  because  it  is 
here.  It  could  not  be  developed  without  assem- 
bling from  something  and  from  somewhere.  1 
can  understand  how  it  could  develop  in  a manner 
similar  to  the  known  ways  of  nature,  and  how  it 
could  become  so  intense  as  to  continue  without 
physical  obstruction,  but  I cannot  undrestand  how 
there  could  be  such  a violent  jump  as  reincarna- 
tion, although  I will  not  at  this  time  dispute  it. 
If  reincarnation  be  possible,  still  I should  not  be- 
lieve it  desirable  to  a developed  mentality  and 
would  not  expect  an  actuality  of  evidence. 

Nature  would  not  waste  this  development  by 
throwing  it  back  into  this  long  period  of  repetition 
or  redevelopment.  Viewing  it  from  the  point  of 
nature — again  viewing  it  from  the  point  of  our 
ego  who  would  wish  to  consume  such  a long  period 
of  redevelopment  to  return  for  the  pains  of  the 
flesh  which,  by  the  way,  are  mere  mental  knowl- 
edge of  local  physical  disorders.  Why  should  an 
immortal  soul  desire  to  retrace  its  steps  and  en- 
cumber itself  with  a mortal  body? 

We  have  not  seen  any  evidence  that  a butter- 
fly ever  paused  again  and  turned  back  to  be  a 
worm.  Such  degeneration  (evolution  working 
backward)  is  possible  but  I assume  these  intelli- 


144  Evolution  Proving  Immortality 

gences  do  not  desire  it.  Neither  would  a man’s 
soul. 


Should  a soul  desire  to  become  human  again, 
how  could  it  be  reincarnated  without  taking  its 
place  at  the  foot  of  the  line,  or  going  back  to  the 
beginning  and  building  up  from  a single  mental 
and  material  cell  to  the  protoplasm  and  running 
the  entire  race  of  evolution  as  well  as  birth?  It 
might  by  the  same  possibility,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, step  into  a mature  human  form,  as 
take  the  short  cut  of  stepping  into  a fer- 
tilized ovum.  We  do  not  appreciate  the  time  it 
took  to  make  us,  we  do  not  appreciate  the  value 
of  our  lives,  if  we  claim  we  originated  within  a 
year  of  our  birthday.  We  do  not  appreciate  the 
fact  that  there  may  be  mental  laws  of  nature  in 
the  metaphysical  universe.  If  there  are,  would 
they  not  be  in  harmony  with  material  laws  or  at 
least  possess  such  comity  as  not  to  violate  each 
other?  One  of  the  laws  and  principles  of  the 
metaphysical  universe  may  be  that,  regardless  of 
the  strength  of  the  desire,  mentality  cannot  be 
both  an  inedpendently  developed  soul  and  a mortal 
man,  any  more  than  a grindstone  may  be  turned 
backward  and  forward  at  the  same  time.  How  can 
a soul  again  become  a man  without  both  evolving 
in  the  natural  way  and  being  born  in  the  natural 
way  ? Anything  less  is  not  mortality.  We  know  a 
man  cannot  go  east  and  west  at  the  same  instant, 
or  have  the  east  and  west  pass  him  at  the  same 
time,  because  it  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of  nature. 
It  may  be  that  the  metaphysical  universe  is  a place 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


145 


of  anarchistic  phantom  pursuit  and  that  unnat- 
ural things  are  possible.  Considering  the  various 
deductions  in  these  pages  it  seemed  unnatural 
that  we  should  receive  short  cut  violent  reincar- 
nations, or  material  manifestations  of  souls. 

I may  be  wrong  in  denying  reincarnation  be- 
cause there  are  some  persuading  deductions  from 
the  knowledge  of  certain  life  movements.  Pro- 
toplasm cells  are  nearly  alike  in  all  forms  of  life, 
whether  vegetable  or  animal,  and  are  found  as  in- 
variably as  the  backbone  is  found  a family  feature 
in  a certain  class  of  animals.  These  cells  of  life 
are  in  the  leaf  of  a tree  and  the  brain  and  body  of 
a man.  Even  these  cells  are  a combination  of 
smaller  cells. 

Now  to  illustrate  this  doubt,  consider  that  as 
plants  and  animals  decay  nitrates  are  released 
that  pass  off  without  being  further  separated, 
and  are  absorbed  by  other  plants  to  make  the  cir- 
cuit again.  So  also  with  ammonia  and  other  com- 
plex elements.  It  may  be  that  some  of  these  so- 
called  elements,  containing  an  unusual  accompany- 
ing intelligence,  though  worked  over  to  some  ex- 
tent, push  out  in  the  cell  of  a bud,  or  a seed,  and 
slightly  change  the  species.  In  the  same  way,  at 
some  low  stage  of  life  we  may  think,  by  a strained 
construction,  a soul  may  adjust  itself  to  push  out 
for  a second  earth  existence.  If  a soul  should  so 
desire  and  concentrate  its  intelligence  to  a degree 
so  simple,  as  to  make  a start  near  enough  to  the 
beginning,  we  might  expect  the  wonderfully  rapid 
reexpansion  of  mind,  like  the  electrically  rapid 


146  Evolution  Proving  Immortality 

changes,  and  development,  of  the  ovum  to  and 
through  the  foetus. 

If  a soul  should  desire  to  make  the  humble 
circuit  through  the  flesh  it  would  be  obliged  to 
reduce  and  narrow  its  mentality  as  stated  or  do 
violence  to  the  laws  of  mortal  nature.  It  may  in 
some  instances  come  again  into  mortal  co-opera- 
tive existence  with  matter,  like  decaying  matter 
resolves  itself  into  nitrates,  and  again  starts  on  a 
circle  of  vegetable  life.  We  know  that  some  low 
order  of  intelligence,  no  larger  that  an  element  of 
nitrate,  which  was  once  a part  of  a tree,  or 
flower,  may  be  absorbed  in  the  cell  of  an  oak  and 
become  predominant  in  the  germ  of  an  acorn  and 
being  a pattern  cell  may  become,  with  its  unified 
associates,  the  king  of  the  forest.  Likewise  it 
may  be  within  the  range  of  possibilities,  that  some 
soul  may  push  its  way  from  some  elementary 
starting  point  into  the  thoughts,  and  mental  cells, 
of  man  and  then  separate  with  the  first  intelli- 
gence, bud,  or  sprout,  to  make  this  new  natural 
circle  of  life,  but  my  intelligence  refutes  the  idea. 
If  artificial  life  should  ever  be  produced  by  prepar- 
ing inorganic  matter  in  such  a way  as  to  become 
vitalized  it  would  not  shake  my  faith  in  a Supreme 
Being,  or  in  the  immortality  of  man,  but  I would 
be  more  inclined  to  believe  in  reincarnation. 

On  the  other  hand,  since  I do  not  accept  the 
philosophy  of  reincarnation,  I would  rather  believe 
in  the  continuity  of  a mighty  mind,  always  pro- 
gressing, greater,  and  greater  rather  than  in  a 
fluctuating,  or  pulsating  life,  once  mighty  and 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


147 


then  feeble,  because  of  making  these  little  circles 
of  birth,  death,  and  reincarnation  over,  and  oyer, 
again.  As  surely  as  we  came  from  some  direction 
we  are  going  in  an  opposite  one ; as  surely  as  we 
came  from  some  state  of  existence  we  are  going 
to  another  and  not  to  nothingness,  neither  are  we 
marking  time.  It  may  be  a matter  of  choice 
whether  it  shall  be  better  or  worse.  We  may  be 
able  to  hold  our  strong  corporate  mentality  to- 
gether as  a human  soul  and  continue  or  we  may 
allow  our  mentality  to  disintegrate  in  its  move- 
ment. , 

If  we  are  able  to  hold  our  mental  existence 
together  and  go  on,  why  should  we,  with  a man's 
intelligence,  desire  to  make  a circle  back  through 
the  flesh? 

The  three  known  steps  of  life  which  man  has 
taken  may  be  likened  in  plant  life  to  pollen,  then 
to  seed  and  on  to  the  entire  plant.  Again,  like- 
wise, any  inanimate  substance  reduced  to  its  low- 
est mechanical  division  is  a molecule.  Its  further 
reduction  to  the  lowest  chemical  division  is  an 
atom.  And  recently  we  have  named  its  further 
possible  electrical  reduction  an  electron.  As  we 
have  mentioned  the  circle  with  mysterious  rela- 
tionship to  all  things,  so  have  we  speculated  upon 
the  trinity  throughout  all  life  or  the  double  trinity 
as  in  six  general  points  to  every  crystal.  It  has 
been  stated  that  we  do  not  know  the  reason  for 
the  circle  or  the  triangle  in  their  relation  to  life, 
but  we  grant  there  is  a mighty  cause.  Let  us  con- 


148 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


sider  the  three  known  periods  of  man’s  physical 
life. 

It  is  no  more  reasonable  to  expect  the  grad- 
uated soul  in  its  magnified  eternal  sphere  of  life, 
progressing  under  new  senses,  to  return  and 
mingle  with  narrow-minded  men,  than  it  is  prob- 
able a man  should  desire  and  accomplish  a return 
to  the  habits  and  customs,  and  limited  expression 
of  the  microscopic,  wiggling,  polly-wog  brother- 
hood of  spermatozoa,  and  struggle  again  with 
them,  for  their  one  chance  in  millions  to  take  the 
human  route,  in  their  part  of  the  universal  desire 
to  go  somewhere.  The  step  from  the  eternity  span 
of  life,  back  to  the  forescore  and  ten  span,  appears 
as  far  backward  as  the  step  from  manhood  back, 
to  the  age  of  a few  hour’s  existence  in  the  other 
span  of  life. 

How  could  it  be  expected  that  spermatozoa  life 
comprehends  any  of  the  magnificence  of  human 
life?  If  this  pre-birth  life  knows  nothing  of  the 
theatres,  railroads,  governments,  sciences,  art  and 
war,  how  could  human  life  do  more  than  merely 
desire  some  grand  incomprehensible  glory  of  the 
future?  If  we  may  tell  the  progress  and  future 
path  of  a comet  by  its  speed  and  the  arc  of  its 
past  movements,  may  not  we,  in  the  same  way, 
speculate  on  the  development  and  direction  of  our 
life,  judging  it,  to  some  extent,  by  three  steps  of 
its  past  development? 

One  does  not  remember  his  existence,  while 
evolving  for  birth,  and  yet  intelligence  has  been 
active  in  every  fibre  and  cell  of  this  metamor- 


Fir^  Step— Spermatozoa  Life. 


It  is  estimated  that  227  million  spermatozoa  come  into  sperm  exist- 
ence about  the  same  time.  All  of  these  are  lost  excepting  in  some  rare 
instances  only  one  of  this  multitude,  of  which  over  a million  exist  in  the 
capacity  of  a single  drop,  developes  into  the  foetal  life.  The  above  figure 
was  drawn  on  a highly  magnified  scale.  The  natural  body  including  tail 
would  require  2.500  to  make  an  inch  in  length.  The  head  is  1-1.5000  of  an 
inch  wide  and  1-40000  of  an  inch  thick. 


Second  Step— Foetal  Life. 


Third  Step— Human  Life 


The  subject  of  this  book  is 
on  the  next  step. 


152 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


phosing  body.  Some  continuity  of  memory  even 
of  ancestor-development  for  ages  accompanies 
this  marvelous  change.  When  the  work  is  done 
a babe  is  bom,  with  a new  seat  of  memory,  speci- 
ally designed  for  a life  in  this  world.  Any  inde- 
pendent cell,  from  which  this  curious  development 
sprung  also  had  a mind.  It  may  have  had  a mem- 
ory, from  second  to  second,  as  we  now  have  from 
year  to  year.  And  back  of  this,  outside  of  the  uni- 
verse of  matter,  was  the  potential  progenitor  of 
this  particular  germ  of  life,  to  which  we  are  in- 
debted for  our  being,  that  had  a mind,  or  rather 
was  nothing  but  a mind.  Indeed,  it  was  only  a 
purpose  or  a principle. 

Considering  the  ordinary  memory  of  man, 
with  the  aid  of  this  knowledge  of  his  origin  and 
we  may  make  oureslves  feel  that  we  should  re- 
member some  shade  of  things  of  the  past.  This 
may  be  stimulated  by  knowledge  that  we  have 
for  many  steps  backward,  through  our  ancestral 
pathway,  had  a minature  mind  that  did  think 
sufficiently  for  our  being  then  and  which  flickered 
sometimes  bright  and  sometimes  dim  as  it  jour- 
neyed on  to  man.  Therefore  if  man’s  mind  was 
once  a cell  mind,  why  not  expect  another  change 
to  a greater  mind  than  we  ever  had  before:  one 
that  could  clearly  recall,  without  deduction,  all 
of  the  many  steps  of  the  past,  and  a new  related 
faculty  that  will  pierce  the  future. 

Considering  the  sperm  life,  we  are  able  to  dis- 
tinguish a slight  difference  between  the  various 
species.  But  after  a union  with  the  ovum  they 


154 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


revert  to  a pulpy  protoplasmic  mass,  as  does  the 
caterpillar,  from  which  a particular  submicro- 
scopic  cell  of  life  begins  to  develop,  so  low  in  the 
scale  of  life,  that  all  travel  a path  of  development 
from  which  it  is  impossible  to  distinguish  one 
species  from  another. 

It  is  strongly  urged  that  spermatazoa  life  is 
only  a sort  of  vegetable  life.  If  biological  re- 
search should  establish  this  claim  beyond  any 
question  it  would  not  preclude  the  theory  of  mind 
even  in  plant  life  as  suggested  in  Chapter  V.  As 
the  embryo  of  man  shows  the  gills  of  a fish  in  its 
development  it  also  shows  the  formation  of  the 
heart  of  cold-blooded  animals  before  it  changes 
to  the  higher  formation.  If  we  trace  the  bodily 
development  back  through  these  stages  of  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  years  of  reflected  ancestral 
development,  why  should  it  not  be  traced  still 
further  beyond  all  of  this  to  the  primitive  plant 
formation  ? 

This  does  not  detract  from  the  power  of  God. 
We  have  merely  discovered  something  of  God’s 
plan  of  work.  This  process  of  evolution  has 
been  chosen,  or  rather  promulgated,  by  the  Great 
First  Cause.  If  God  created  the  Universe,  we 
know  enough  already  to  say  that,  in  its  immen- 
sity of  development,  He  did  not  make  it  from  noth- 
ing. He  never  made  anything  that  we  have  ever 
seen  from  nothing.  Everything  is  made  from 
something  else.  One  cell  is  used  to  make  two. 
One  body  is  divided  and  becomes  two.  One  sense 
is  traced  back  to  a development  from  another. 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


155 


No  miracle  has  ever  been  claimed  to  have  been 
performed  without  the  use  of  one  thing  to  create 
another.  Every  effect  has  a cause  and  was  once 
within  and  a part  of  the  cause.  If  everything  we 
know  that  God  has  done  has  been  done  through 
something  else;  if  every  body  is  sent  by  God 
through  another  body,  is  it  not  in  accordance  with 
God’s  law  that  a soul  should  be  made  by  develop- 
ment from  another  soul,  a spark  from  the  divine 
spark,  in  its  course  from  God  rather  than  to  ex- 
pect that  God  makes  a soul  from  nothing? 

If  a man’s  life  and  soul  came  immediately 
from  the  life  and  soul  of  his  parents,  it  is  but 
another  example  of  God’s  manner  of  work  in  mak- 
ing everything  through  the  changing  of  something 
else.  Because  of  this  we  should  not  deny  the  ex- 
istence, or  power  of  God.  We  should  not  look  to  a 
moner  life  as  our  god,  our  source  of  origin,  because 
we  are  inclined  to  concede  the  evolution  of  a soul, 
as  well  as  the  evolution  of  a body,  and  because 
we  are  obliged  to  concede  we  have  evolved  from 
this  direction,  where  the  protoplasm  and  cell  are 
near  the  limit  of  any  direct  sense  knowledge.  We 
should  think  beyond  this  and  into  a metaphysical 
universe  that  existed  before  there  was  anything 
physical. 

Every  child  born  has  within  the  few  months 
before  its  birth,  in  obedience  to  God’s  law,  been 
compelled  to  repeat  all  of  the  processes  its  com- 
bined  ancestors  accomplished.  The  origin  of  each 
must  needs  reach  back  beyond  the  moner  and 
protoplasm  and  beyond  all  things  material  into  a 


156 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


state  of  pure  metaphysical  existence  and  travel 
directly  this  long  road  from  the  Great  First  Cause, 
or  from  God,  to  the  new  born  babe. 

For  these  reasons,  if  everything  God  produces 
has  come  from  something  and  never  from  nothing, 
why  is  not  God  creating  human  souls  under  a force 
and  plan  similar  to  the  one  we  have  discovered 
whereby  He  is  creating  bodies  ? When  it  is  all  said 
I don’t  suppose  it  makes  a bit  of  difference  to 
many  people  how  He  did  it.  But  it  is  some  satis- 
faction to  use  the  brains  God  gave  us  to  think 
about  these  things. 

Using  our  brain  power  to  project  ourselves 
back  through  the  long  slimy  path  of  the  past  we 
clearly  see  much  more  than  the  history  of  man’s 
physical  development  as  re-lived  and  traced 
through  the  development  of  the  human  embryo. 
Take  all  this  as  a mere  starting  point  and  journey 
for  aeons  back  of  this.  It  has  been  demonstrated 
with  reasonable  clearness  that  a life  must  be 
started  from  a primitive  cell  and  do  all  for  itself 
that  all  of  its  ancestors  combined  have  done,  be- 
fore being  bom  as  a man.  Now,  this  fact  of  de- 
volving and  evolving  in  every  form  of  life  as  well 
as  in  man,  proves  that  short  cuts  are  not  permitted 
by  nature.  It  is  really  a mistake  to  assume  that  a 
so-called  new  human  life  begins  with  the  union 
of  the  ovum  and  spermatazoon  and  that  these  are 
the  primitive  cells  that  go  through  this  process  of 
evolution.  Biology  shows  us  that  the  sperma- 
tazoon, with  the  contents  of  the  ovum,  absolutely 
dissolves  and  disorganizes  or  reverts,  and  after  a 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


157 


short  season  there  faintly  appears  a fine  thread- 
like germ  from  out  of  the  “distance.”  It  was  once 
far  beyond  the  vision  of  the  most  powerful  mi- 
croscope. It  approaches  like  an  expected  comet 
which  in  time  is  barely  discernable  through  the 
telescope.  From  where  did  this  new  visitor  come  ? 
We  may  only  surmise  that  reproduction  required 
this  reversion.  Upon  a close  scrutiny  these  cells 
must  still  further  disorganize  and  go  back  re- 
verting or  traveling  within  a few  days  these 
millions  of  aeons  of  the  past,  back  and  even  out 
of  the  physical  universe  into  a state  of  existence 
absolutely  devoid  of  matter,  and  then  re- 
appear through  this  invisible  aperture  in  the  phy- 
sical world  as  described  by  a fine,  short,  mere  mi- 
croscopic line.  The  end  of  this  line  turns  or  bends 
over  in  the  same  direction  and  in  a few  months 
this  long,  long  road  of  the  rest  of  ancestral  evo- 
lution is  traveled  and  the  man  appears. 

The  story  of  foetal  life-development,  being 
a history  and  proof  of  evolution  to  some,  as  they 
have  so  clearly  stated,  indicates  to  me  the  same 
thing,  and  it  also  indicates  that  life  is  older  and 
superior  to  all  matter.  As  they  point  out  the  gills 
and  other  marks  in  the  foetus  to  indicate  that 
man  evolved  from  lower  animal-like  forms,  and 
that  every  child  born  has  to  relive  all  that  all  its 
ancestors  have  lived,  I use  the  same  process  of 
reasoning  to  carry  one  back  of  them,  beyond  the 
cell  of  matter,  to  pure  metaphysical  existence. 

This  whole  story  which  traces  life  back  so 
far  as  to  leave  every  dimension  of  matter  (there 


158 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


is  no  matter  without  dimension)  tells  me  it  re- 
lived, or  dissolved  back  to  a time  when  there  was 
no  matter,  and  then  rapidly  returned  the  whole 
journey  and  not  merely  the  comparatively  late 
path  that  Haeckel  has  pointed  out,  from  the 
protoplasm  to  man.  It  reverted,  and  kept  on  re- 
verting, to  a state  of  existence  before  this  young 
world  was  formed — aye,  before  any  material 
worlds  were  formed.  This  is  no  more  remark- 
able than  what  we  see  every  day  in  foetal  devel- 
opment from  protoplasm  to  man.  We  are  obliged 
to  extend  the  process,  because  we  cannot  by  any 
physical  means  see  any  point  in  the  physical 
world  where  the  return  from  reversion  takes 
place  and  starts  again  in  the  process  of  evolution- 
ary rebuilding. 

We  may  plainly  understand  that  every  man 
must  have  been  a baby,  but  fail  to  think  the  same 
rule  would  require  every  soul  not  merely  to  be 
born  as  a baby  but  to  have  entered  the  physical 
state  in  the  same  manner  that  the  foetal  cell  of 
physical  matter  became  physical  matter  from  a 
metaphysical  state.  As  the  physical  materialist 
insists  every  step  of  man’s  evolution  is  recorded 
in  his  foetal  development,  we  may  as  easily  reason 
that  his  progress,  through  this  earlier  period 
mentioned,  records  even  the  history  of  the  chaos 
from  which  the  world,  of  which  he  is  a part,  was 
formed. 

What  the  metaphysical  universe  is,  we  have 
not  senses  to  conceive,  but  there  certainly  is  such 
an  existence,  ruled  by  order  and  system.  These 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


159 


physical  things  could  not  transpire,  linking,  as 
they  do,  in  every  birth  the  physical  and  meta- 
physical in  this  phenomenal  manner,  without  most 
strongly  indicating  that  the  metaphysical  universe 
is  far  more  grand  than  our  magnificent  physical 
universe. 

Contemplating  the  metaphysical  universe,  as 
distinguished  from  the  physical  universe,  it  seems 
there  may  be  at  least  two  sides,  something  like 
the  inside  and  the  outside  of  everything.  As  to 
the  physical  universe,  this  tiny  world  of  ours,  with 
six  known  continents,  and  the  greater  unknown 
Ant-Arctic  continent,  and  its  mighty  oceans,  is 
twenty-five  thousand  miles  in  circumference. 
There  are  seven  other  worlds  that  have  a seeming 
connection  with  our  sun.  Jupiter  is  fourteen 
hundred  times  larger  than  this  earth,  and  the  sun 
is  larger  than  all  of  its  eight  planets.  The  dis- 
tance between  them  is  most  appreciated  by  an 
estimate  of  the  time  that  is  required  for  light  to 
travel  from  point  to  point  and  by  making  com- 
parisons. Light  is  said  to  travel  176,000  miles 
per  second.  It  requires  only  nine  minutes  to  trave- 
from  the  sun  to  the  earth,  a distance  of  ninety-si'^ 
million  miles.  Now,  around  us  in  space,  it  is  cal- 
culated that  over  two  billion  suns  and  worlds  are 
shining  within  the  knowledge  of  man.  Some  of 
these  suns  are  thousands  of  times  larger  than  our 
sun,  and  are  so  far  away  that  it  requires  thous- 
ands of  years  for  their  light  to  reach  us.  Believ- 
ing that  all  physical  matter  was  created  from 
metaphysical  forces,  and  that  matter  did  not  al- 


160 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


ways  exist,  because  there  is  no  thing,  of  any  ma- 
terial, that  is  an  element,  always  existing,  it  seems 
there  must  needs  be  a limit,  and  boundary,  out  be- 
yond the  farthest  confines  of  this  unmeasured 
universe.  We  are  obliged  to  conclude,  that  beyond 
this  outside  limit,  there  is  a purely  metaphysical 
space,  or  a peculiar  space  of  metaphysical  forces. 

In  the  other  direction,  opposite  to  magnitude, 
your  attention  has  been  called  to  the  minuteness 
of  things  dwindling  down,  and  down,  until  we  pass 
the  other  boundary  of  matter,  and  pass  completely 
out  of  the  physical  universe. 

The  metaphysical  universe  is,  beyond  these 
two  extremes,  which  are  also  connected,  because 
the  metaphysical  includes  the  physical.  The  meta- 
physical is  both  there  and  here.  Wherever  life 
becomes  seperated  from,  or  driven  out  of  the 
physical  it  is  obliged  to  exist  in  the  metaphysical. 

A birth  requires  an  exit  of  materials  dwind- 
ling to  the  metaphysical,  and  then  a reentry  of  the 
metaphysical  through  a similar  miniature  aper- 
ture to  the  one  of  departure;  and  a death  is  an 
exit  through  another  boundary.  A death  is  not 
necessarily  the  leaving  of  the  location  of  physical 
matter,  and  the  passing  beyond  the  pale,  even,  of 
the  farthest  stars,  but  it  is  the  ceasing  to  be  with- 
in the  state  of  materiality,  and  the  act  and  result 
of  having  passed  out  of  matter,  or,  in  other  words, 
the  passing  of  the  boundary  between  the  physical 
and  the  metaphysical.  The  soul  is  therefore  in- 
visible, inaudible,  and  unattached  to  matter. 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


161 


All  of  these  things  appear  to  be  contrary  to 
reincarnation,  which  theory  is  too  small  for  the 
grander  theory  of  eternal  progress. 

Reincarnation  involves  the  thought  of  the 
possibility  of  souls  within  animals.  Whether,  or 
not,  they  have,  I do  not  care  to  argue.  Surely 
they  go  through  the  same  processes,  as  does  man, 
in  the  wonderful  start  and  development  of  all 
forms  of  nature.  God  must  have  ci’eated  them, 
and  has  the  power  to  care  for  them.  But  one  is 
disinclined  to  believe  there  is  continuity  of  life  in 
animals,  because  in  the  whole  animal  kingdom,  of 
all  ages,  not  one  single  animal,  or  bird,  has  ever 
been  discovered  that  revealed  any  sign  of  worship, 
or  preparation  for  life  after  death.  These  billions 
of  billions  of  creatures  are,  without  exception, 
atheistic  in  every  thought,  because  thoughts  are 
bound  to  be  indexed  by  some  form  of  action,  or 
non-action.  Therefore,  we  assume  animals  have 
never  had  that  very  essential  hope,  and  faith,  to 
qualify  and  save  themselves.  It  is  a dismal 
thought,  that  man  should  ever  be  returned  to  this 
earth  as  an  animal,  and  it  is  an  abysmal  fall  for 
one,  even  in  thought,  to  enter  the  animal  class, 
to  satisfy  mere  bodily  passions  and  live  a life  as 
blank,  and  as  atheistic,  as  these  poor  dumb  crea- 
tures, that  live  merely  for  the  sake  of  their  bodies. 

If  man  feels,  and  is  assured  of  a future  life 
by  faith  alone,  what  hope  is  there  for  either  ani- 
mal, or  man,  not  having  faith?  What  ultimate 
good  is  there,  in  the  eternal  plan  of  nature  for  any 
hopeless  material  ? 


162 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


Having  considered  the  origin  of  both  body  and 
soul  let  us  again  in  contrast  consider  the  future 
through  the  eyes  of  Plato  in  the  language  of 
Schopenhauer  although  he  criticises  Plato  upon 
the  authority  of  Kant : 

“That  which  knows  in  us  an  immaterial  substance, 
fundimentally  distinct  from  the  body  called  soul;  the  body 
being  a hindrance  to  knowledge.  Hence  all  knowledge 
through  the  senses  is  deceptive,  the  only  true,  accurate 
and  certain  knowledge  being  that  which  is  free  and  re- 
moved from  all  sensibility  (i  e,  from  all  perception,)  in 
other  words,  pure  thought,  or  that  which  functions  ex- 
clusively by  means  of  abstract  conceptions.  For  this  in- 
structs the  soul  entirely  by  its  own  methods,  and  conse- 
quently will  work  best  after  it  is  separated  from  the  body, 
that  is,  after  we  are  dead.” 

Man’s  soul  came  from  the  Infinite — from  God 
— completing  its  cycle  it  returns  to  its  source — 
that  is,  to  a pure  metaphysical  existence.  The 
mind  next  inquires  where  God  comes  from  ? But 
the  limitations  of  mortal  man  precludes  under- 
standing the  answer  even  though  one  had  been 
given.  In  the  life  to  come  we  may  be  permitted  to 
understand.  But  in  this  life  science  agrees  with 
the  Bible  that  we  may  go  no  further  in  such  an  in- 
quiry. The  Bible  relates  that  God  has  said:  “I 
am  that  I am.” 

If  we  have  a soul,  as  we  believe,  we  are  not 
all  equal  hereafter  any  more  than  we  are  all  equal 
here.  There  must  be  souls  of  greater  age  and  wis- 
dom. It  is  impossible  to  conceive  that  there  is 
not  a Supreme  Soul — a God. 

An  inquiry  is  made  as  to  whether  there  are 
three  great  divisions  of  man.  Have  we  distinctly 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


163 


a body,  a soul  and  a mind?  We  know  there  is  a 
body  and  believe  there  is  a soul.  Such  being  the 
case,  the  mind  would  be  the  connecting  link.  If 
such  is  the  case  the  mind  would  have  a soul  ele- 
ment, or  attribute,  and  also  possess  some  relation- 
ship to  the  material.  It  would  naturally  follow 
that  a weakening  of  the  body  would  exhibit  itself 
in  the  material  expression  of  the  mind.  In  this 
respect  concerning  the  relationship  of  the  soul 
and  the  body  we  should  reverse  the  usual  saying 
that  “man  (a  body)  has  a soul”  and  say  “man  is 
a soul  and  has  a body,”  which  is  in  effect,  the  way 
Epictetus  spoke  centuries  ago.  This  suggests 
that  the  body  may  be  like  the  heavy  leaden  shoes 
of  the  diver.  As  shoes  hold  the  diver  down,  in 
his  submarine  work,  so  the  body  holds  the  soul  in 
its  sub-spiritual  place  upon  this  earth. 

This  old  idea  of  the  body  being  cast  aside,  as 
a mere  shell  for  this  period  of  life  development, 
follows  the  precedent  of  the  shedding  of  the 
placenta  immediately  before  birth.  Even  this 
followed  a prior  shedding  of  the  serolemma,  and 
that  followed  a prior  shedding  of  the  allontais  and 
before  this  there  was  the  shedding  of  the  amnion. 
Therefore,  when  this  body  becomes  useless  there 
must  be  something  left,  when  it  is  shed.  Each 
successive  envelope,  as  discarded,  reveals  an  in- 
creasing cause  for  wonder.  Is  the  babe  the  climax 
of  what  represents  millions  of  years  of  evolution 
from  a germ  cell  ? Or  is  there  not  another,  more 
enduring  life  to  come  and  is  not  the  loss  of  this 
body  but  the  shedding  of  another  shell  ? 


HEAVEN  AND  HELL 
CHAPTEE  XIV. 

Is  there  no  heaven  in  this  vast  and  limitless 
star  studded  universe?  Shall  we  decide  there  is 
no  heaven  merely  because  no  such  place  has  been 
seen  by  astronomers  ? Although  gazing  out  upon 
that  boundless  globe  of  space  delimited  by 
man’s  inability  to  see  the  infinity  beyond  the  fur- 
thest visible  stars,  shall  the  existence  of  a heaven 
be  denied  because  we  find  no  physical  substance 
suitable  for  a mere  mental  home  ? The  circumfer- 
ence of  this  sphere  of  vision,  whose  diameter  is 
calculated  by  billions  of  billions  of  miles,  is  a mere 
speck  of  the  universe,  that  may  require  the  fourth 
dimension  to  measure,  and  what  we  see,  or  hear, 
therein  is  entirely  different  from  what  insects 
see  and  hear,  or  what  a metaphysical  being  could 
see,  hear,  or  experience.  An  astronomer  of  repu- 
tation once  said  he  had  searched  this  radius  his 
whole  life  with  the  most  powerful  telescopes  and 
never  found  the  least  sign  of  heaven.  Oh!  what 
conceit,  and  ignorance,  to  justify  his  claim  against 
immortality.  Many  persist  in  saying  there  is  no 
place  for  life  after  death.  I grant  that  heaven  is 
not  visible  to  the  human  eye.  Because  we  may 
not  be  permitted  to  see  such  a place  is  not  proof 
of  its  non-existence. 

Take  a glance  into  the  immensity  of  this 
space,  with  Prof.  Garrett  P.  Serviss,  who  has 
measured  a mere  starting  point ; 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


165 


“The  stars  marking:  the  upper  line  of  the 
celestial  dipper  are  ten  degrees  apart,  and  since 
their  distance  from  us  is  950,000,000,000,000 
miles,  it  follows  that  the  real  distance  between 
them  is  95,000,000,000,000  divided  by  5.73.  This 
gives,  for  the  length  of  the  upper  edge  of  the 
dipper  16,580,000,000,000  miles  very  nearly. 

The  lower  edge,  or  bottom  line,  of  the  dipper 
is  eight-tenths  of  this  or  13,264,000,000,000  miles. 
The  height  is  one-half  of  the  upper  line,  or  8,290,- 
000,000,000  miles.  Adding  together  the  upper  and 
lower  lines,  and  multiplying  their  sum  by  half  the 
height,  or  4,145,000,000,000,  we  get  for  the  area 
of  the  entire  trapezoid  whose  corners  are  marked 
by  the  four  stars,  123,701,000,000,000,000,000,- 
000,000  square  miles,  throwing  away  the  least  sig- 
nificant figures 

If  they  construct  celestial  dippers  on  the  plan 
of  a terrestrial  scoop,  we  may  assume  the  width  to 
be  about  two-thirds  the  length,  or  say  11,000,- 
000,000,000  miles.  We  then  multiply  the  area  of 
the  side  by  the  width  of  the  bottom,  and  obtain 
for  a final  result  the  stupendous  amount  of  one 
duodecillion,three  hundred  and  sixty  undecillions 
of  cubic  miles 

Perhaps  you  would  like  to  see  that  in  fig- 
ures, so  here  it  is:  1,360,000,000,000,000,000,- 

000,000,000,000,000,000,000.  I have  cast  aside  as 
of  no  consequence  more  than  seven  hundred  de- 
cillions 

Now  that  we  have  got  the  capacity  of  the 
Great  Bear’s  mighty  dipper,  let  us  compare  it  with 


166 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


some  more  comprehensible  things.  This  earth 
of  ours  contains  about  268,000,000,000  cubic  miles. 
So  it  would  take  about  five  octillions  of  earths, 
packed  and  crushed  into  a mass,  to  fill  that  super- 
capacious  dipper. 

The  volume  of  the  sun  is  about  348,000,000,- 
000,000,000  cubic  miles.  Then  nearly  four  sextil- 
lions  of  suns,  smashed  like  strawberries  in  a gro- 
cer’s basket,  would  be  required  to  brim  the  dip- 
per with  solar  nectar! 

But  let  not  the  Great  Bear  boast  too  reckless- 
ly of  his  big  dipper.  Huge  as  it  is,  after  all,  it 
fills  but  a speck  of  space  in  the  universe.  It  is 
near  enough  to  us  to  make  a great  showing  in  the 
sky,  and  paralyze  our  minds  with  amazement 
when  we.  apply  our  petty  measurements  to  it,  but 
it  could  dip  but  a spoonful  from  the  Milky  Way ; 
it  would  be  lost  in  the  gorgeous  blazonry  of  the 
Great  Magellanic  Cloud,  and  would  drop,  like  a 
tin  cup  down  a well,  through  the  tremendous 
opening  of  the  awful  Coal  Sack  that  yawns  be- 
side the  constellation  of  the  Southern  Cross,  and 
seems  to  have  no  bottom  in  the  rayless  blackness 
of  the  infinity  beyond!” 

In  following  this  we  have  comprehended 
merely  space.  This  space  is  not  necessarily  void. 

A glass  may  be  filled  with  light,  then  with- 
out dispelling  the  light,  be  filled  with  water,  and 
a third  time  filled  with  an  electric  force  with- 
out dispelling  or  diminishing  the  other  two  ele- 
ments, and  yet  by  releasing  a coin  above  the 
thrice  filled  glass  you  will  observe  the  force  of 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


167 


gravitation  there  just  as  it  would  be,  were  the 
glass  not  beneath  the  falling  coin  and  demon- 
strating that  the  space  occupied  by  the  glass  is 
filled  with  another;  possibly  many  other  forces. 

By  the  duplex  system  of  telegraphy  four 
different  messages  may  be  sent  in  two  directions 
over  one  wire  at  the  same  time.  Four  telephone 
messages  may  be  added,  which  also  establishes 
that  where  some  forces  are  so  vastly  different  in 
nature,  one  is  no  hindrance  whatever  to  the  other, 
even  in  the  same  space. 

By  the  X-ray  it  has  been  demonstrated  that 
where  space  is  filled  with  matter  such  substance 
does  not  prevent  its  penetrating  glance.  As  the 
rays  Of  the  sun  penetrate  the  solid  window  pane, 
so  may  our  mortal  gaze  search  on  beyond  a home 
at  hand.  As  some  of  these  material  forces  pene- 
trate some  substances,  so  may  a spiritual  force 
penetrate  all  material  substances. 

If  a man’s  consciousness  of  himself  is  a soul 
and  spiritual  force,  its  home  must  necessarily 
be  spiritual  and  its  existence  would  not  arrest 
the  mortal  gaze  through  the  telescope  any  more 
than  the  telescope,  man’s  body  or  man’s  world 
would  interfere  with  a spiritual  force. 

The  law  of  gravitation,  as  yet  so  little  un- 
derstood, which  so  greatly  affects  matter  may 
have  no  more  influence  upon  a human  soul  than  it 
does  upon  thoughts  and  even  mountains  and 
oceans  may  not  be  considered  any  impediment  to 
the  force  known  as  intelligence.  A beautiful 
dream  consummating  all  of  the  pleasures  of  the 


168 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


mind  with  none  of  its  sorrows,  and  lasting  for- 
ever, may  locate  a heaven  in  illimitable  space,  not 
to  be  disturbed  by  the  rending  of  the  body  nor  the 
rolling  of  planets. 

When  we  consider  how  materialists  reasoned 
everything  down  to  an  atom  which  they  erron- 
eously called  dead  matter  and  from  which  they 
reasoned  all  forms  of  life  were  constructed ; when 
we  consider  how  they  had  knowingly  accounted 
for  concentrating  these  atoms  into  worlds  and 
suns,  continually  attracting  each  other  and  enlarg- 
ing until  their  logic  prophesied  a time  when  all 
will  become  a frozen  sphere  of  dead  matter,  we 
think  of  how  the  families  and  friends  of  such 
atheists  were  made  to  prematurely  shiver.  But 
the  atomic  theory  has  been  exploded  and  the  dead 
matter  Alpha  is  upset.  There  was  a beginning 
to  the  atom.  It  was  constructed  from  something 
else,  close  to  the  line  between  material  and  imma- 
terial and  we  find,  consequently,  that  this  al- 
leged basic  matter  did  not  always  exist.  Then  if 
all  the  universe  of  matter,  in  constellations  and 
suns  and  worlds,  and  the  different  substances 
thereof,  are  combinations  of  atoms — ^which  atoms 
were  created — they  had  a beginning,  and  the  uni- 
verse of  matter  had  a beginning. 

In  the  continuous  discovery  of  ultra  sense 
forces  there  is  reason  to  suppose  the  existence  of 
another  greater  non-material  universe  from  which 
the  limited  material  universe  was  developd.  Out- 
side, or  inside,  beyond  and  above,  or  rather  dis- 
tinct from  and  more  powerful,  there  must  needs 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


169 


be  a First  Cause  creating  with  purpose  and  de- 
sign and  a plan  before  there  was  a planet. 

That  the  material  universe  had  a beginning 
we  may  reason  not  alone  from  the  construction  of 
an  atom,  but  from  the  greater  bodies  of  the  uni- 
verse which  we  know.  This  earth  is  said  to  gain 
in  meteors  and  settling  particles  about  ten  mil- 
lion tons  per  year,  or  a little  less  than  one  six- 
hundred-thousandth  of  its  weight  in  a hundred 
million  years.  Reasoning  backward  without  al- 
lowing for  the  diminishing  power  of  attraction 
with  its  diminishing  weight,  and  without  consid- 
ering any  loss,  and  its  birth  was  considerably  over 
six  hundred  trillion  years  ago.  (Even  the  crust 
of  the  earth  is  now  claimed  to  have  been  the  abode 
of  living  organisms  for  some  five  hundred  billion 
years) . If  we  obtain  the  ratio  of  increased  power 
of  attraction  with  the  increase  of  size,  we  may 
use  this  knowledge  to  estimate  the  annual  in- 
crease of  the  bulk  of  the  sun  or  any  star  for  a 
period  of  years ; and  by  reasoning  backward  with 
proper  diminution,  we  may  estimate  its  planetary 
age.  We  may  even  make  a rational  guess  on  the 
age  of  what  we  know  of  the  physical  universe. 
Now  if  this  is  a universe  of  dead  matter  and  life 
is  a mere  byproduct  and  these  bodies  have  been 
gradually  increasing,  men  could  estimate  in  years, 
and  write  with  figui’es,  the  time  when  the  largest 
globe  in  the  universe  was  smaller  than  the  last 
discharge  of  a roman  candle. 

If  the  material  universe  always  existed,  the 
largest  stars  we  have  located  and  measured  are  too 


170 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


small  for  the  theory.  Again  if  the  material  uni« 
verse  is  Infinite  and  there  is  no  limit  to  material 
bodies,  chained  together  by  attraction,  and  float- 
ing in  the  greater  metaphysical  sea  of  the  non- 
material universe,  it  has  been  pointed  out  that 
the  ever  increasing  star  light  would  be  immensely 
greater.  All  of  the  most  potential  arguments  of 
materialists,  and  their  dead  matter  theories,  are 
being  ground  to  powder  and  blown  into  Oblivion 
by  volumes  of  scientific  discoveries. 

As  far  as  the  worlds  of  the  physical  universe 
— all  of  them — are  concerned,  they  are  being  born, 
and  they  die  and  disintegrate  as  effectually  as  the 
bodies  they  support.  They  cannot  grow  too  large 
without  causing  internal  combustion  and  gradual 
radiation,  as  from  a retort,  because  of  the  pres- 
sure of  their  own  external  weight  upon  the  inter- 
nal parts,  unless  discharged  prematurely  by  col- 
lision. If  there  be  a beginning  and  an  ending  of 
each  and  every  one  of  our  stars  and  of  the  earth, 
there  was  a beginning  and  will  be  an  ending  of 
them  all,  there  was  a beginning  and  will  be  an  end- 
ing of  the  whole  physical  universe  in  spite  of  our 
claims  of  the  eternity  of  matter.  Just  as  water 
may  be  unlocked  and  turned  to  steam  and  then 
transformed,  or  fui’ther  expanded  to  hydrogen, 
something  else  may  send  it  whence  it  originally 
came. 

When  our  sun  throws  off  its  energy,  do  we 
realize  what  an  insignificant  part  is  arrested  by 
this  earth  and  where  the  rest  is  destined?  When 
we  consider  the  size  of  the  sun  and  the  force  of 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


171 


explosives,  the  conduct  of  bodies  expelled  by  ex- 
plosives and  the  effect  upon  the  body  from  which 
exploded,  we  are  obliged  to  hesitate  about  accept- 
ing the  theory  of  any  force  upon  the  suns  of  the 
universe  expelling  light  the  millions  of  billions  of 
miles  as  claimed.  It  is  easier  to  believe  that  when 
something  unlocks  the  energy  there  is  a drawing 
force — a magnetic  pull — back  to  the  greater  non- 
material universe,  instead  of  the  repelling  influ- 
ence of  a luminary.  The  earth  intercepts  and  con- 
verts a part  of  this  energy  and  the  organisms  it 
carries  with  it  and  the  stars  claim  their  portion, 
even  the  ether  of  interstellar  space  may  claim  a 
share,  but,  if  this  material  universe  came  from  a 
non-material  universe,  why  is  its  destiny  not  the 
state  from  which  it  was  drawn  ? In  all  the  fields 
of  unsensed  forces,  from  which  the  material  has 
come,  there  is  an  abundance  of  metaphysical  area 
for  the  location  of  an  unlimited  heaven — a meta- 
physical universe — which  may  be  a place  without 
dimension.  Length,  breadth  and  thickness  may 
be  mere  physical  terms  which  have  no  significance 
in  a metaphysical  universe  where  other  relations 
exist  for  spiritual  comparisons. 

Space,  such  as  we  know,  may  be  entirely 
eliminated,  if  there  be  a metaphysical  existence, 
because  space  is  related  to  time  in  the  requirement 
of  time  to  move  from  point  to  point  in  the  physi- 
cal universe.  In  fact,  space  is  one  of  the  at- 
tributes of  the  material — it  is  a part  of  the  physi- 
cal universe.  So  also  is  time  closely  related  to  the 
material  and  to  space.  Indeed  both  time  and 
space  are  wholly  material. 


172 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


In  respect  to  time,  we  have  all  noticed  how  a 
child  of  two  or  three  years  has  remembered  a 
summer  day  as  lasting  as  long  as  we  in  later  years 
look  upon  a generation.  In  infancy  a day  is  an 
unbounded  period  of  time.  In  childhood  it  is  a 
terrible  punishment  to  be  compelled  to  stay  in  for 
an  hour.  When  the  child  becomes  an  old  person, 
oh,  how  fast  time  flies.  This  is  reasonable  to  ex- 
pect, when  we  know  how  many  ages  have  been 
repeated  and  pressed  into  its  foetal  development. 
The  first  forty-eight  hours  following  its  concep- 
tion, perhaps,  meant  the  repeating  of  millions  of 
millions  of  years.  In  the  succeeding  months  every 
day  meant  thousands  of  years.  As  the  man  ma- 
tures, time  becomes  of  less  importance.  It  flies.  An 
eternity  becomes  a minute.  It  seems  to  leave  tne 
man  with  a great  memory  of  the  past  and  a knowl- 
edge of  the  future.  The  past  and  the  future  have 
seemed  to  steadily  draw  to  a point.  The  two  ex- 
tremes of  time,  the  past  and  the  future,  narrow 
down  closer  and  closer,  until  it  is  not  far  to  pro- 
ject a state  when  both  the  past  and  the  future  be- 
come the  present,  or  one  great  Eternal  Now. 

If  we  may  approach  a state  where  by  mere 
desire  we  may  know  whatever  has  happened  and 
whatever  will  happen  and  instantly  avoid,  or  take 
part  in  whatever  we  wish,  as  one  may  examine 
any  department  of  a great  exposition  where  every- 
thing in  the  world  is  grouped,  this  would  give  us 
some  notion  of  Eternity. 

Future  power  to  comprehend  all  time  elim- 
inates future  and  past,  which  are  the  only  periods 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


173 


we  know  in  this  life.  If  everything  becomes  the 
present  it  is  a state  no  mortal  has  ever  enjoyed, 
because  in  this  world  the  very  instant  a thing 
ceases  to  be  in  the  future  it  becomes  a thing  in  the 
past.  But,  if  one  may  comprehend  all  past  and  all 
future  everything  becomes  in  the  present  and 
there  is  no  future.  If  there  be  no  limitations  of 
distance  there  can  be  no  space.  This  subject  is 
not  exhausted,  but  barely  touched  upon  to  set  the 
mind  in  motion  upon  the  claims  of  a time  coming 
when  there  will  be  no  time  and  no  space;  when 
everything  will  be  now  and  here ; when  we  become 
a part  of  Eternity. 

These  illustrations  show  in  a faint  way,  that 
although  the  scientists  of  yesterday  have  pointed 
their  powerful  telescopes  in  every  direction  look- 
ing for  some  physical  spot  suitable  for  man’s  met- 
aphysical existence,  and  failed  to  find  it,  such  fail- 
ure is  no  proof  that  there  is  not  a metaphysical 
universe.  All  the  known  things  which  we  have 
considered  cannot  be  true  without  the  existence  of 
a metaphysical  universe — a mental,  or  spiritual, 
home  to  which  we  are  destined. 

If  there  be  a heaven  it  follows  that  there  must 
needs  be  the  antithesis  of  such  a place.  If  you 
discover  one  end  of  a stick  or  a wire  you  know  that 
there  is  somewhere  another  end.  If  there  is  a 
place  of  happiness  worthy  the  name  of  heaven,  we 
know  there  is  a place  of  unhappiness.  Why  not 
call  it  Hell? 

As  there  has  been  no  exact  soul  equality  here, 
there  can  be  none  hereafter.  We  can  not  all  be 


174 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


upon  a dead  level  in  thought,  in  sphere  of  action, 
or  in  any  state  of  existence.  Some  are  now,  and 
will  ever  be,  capable  of  doing  and  feeling  more 
than  others.  There  is  bound  to  be  a highest,  with 
possibilities  of  achieving  even  more,  and  a lowest, 
with  dangers  of  still  lower  depths.  Can  any  other 
name  be  found  to  describe  this  lower  place,  better 
than  Hell?  Any  attempt  to  describe,  picture  or 
localize  the  place  would  be  a dismal  failure,  even 
though  the  immortal  Dante  were  eclipsed  a thou- 
sand times.  Hell  exists,  but  the  conditions  are  to 
be  discovered,  and  experienced  by  man  when  he 
reaches  another  state  of  perception,  unless  as  pre- 
viously stated,  disintegration  of  a soul  takes  place 
which  would  be  in  fact  but  another  kind  of  hell. 
Fire  is  the  clearest  possible  illustration  of  disin- 
tegration. It  releases,  separates  and  scatters. 
Thus  fire  and  hell  may  be  synonjnnous. 

If  the  human  race  and  all  life  among  man’s 
associates  had  never  developed  the  sense  of  smell 
what  would  we  know  about  odors  ? If  some  phil- 
osopher of  such  a world  had  tried  to  demonstrate 
and  theorize  that  there  must  be  distinctly  marked 
radiations  of  everything  existing  which  some  fifth 
sense  could  distinguish,  try  and  imagine  how  he 
would  have  proceeded  and  how  he  would  nave  been 
criticised  and  ridiculed. 

He  would  probably  have  argued,  that  small 
microscopic  particles  being  given  off  from  cer- 
tain flowers,  which  possess  great  beauty,  some  in- 
telligence, and  no  harmful  qualities,  which  flowers 
naturally  discharge  these  globule  atoms  on  account 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


175 


of  some  intelligence,  purpose,  energy,  or  push,  and 
should  carry  some  distinctive  impression,  or  at- 
tribute, of  what  they  came  from,  so  that  a person 
could  tell,  without  seeing  that  he  was  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  a rose  garden  or  a den  of  rattlesnakes. 
He  would  have  claimed  that,  as  the  phonograph 
needle  impresses  in  the  wax  the  distinctive  com- 
binations of  vibrations  of  some  quality  of  sound 
to  reproduce  the  human  voice,  so  does  all  life  im- 
press, with  a delicateness  far  below  the  micro- 
scopic conception,  each  particle  given  off  by  ra- 
dial birth  and  sent  as  a messenger  bearing  some 
picture  sounds  or  unknown  sign,  if  not  long  mes- 
sages. (Everything  vibrates  he  could  claim.) 
If  this  philosopher  in  such  a world,  otherwise 
like  ours,  had  written  this  way  and  had  insisted 
that  a fifth  sense  would  be  developed  to  distin- 
guish the  presence  of  many  things  by  these  little 
astral-like  particles  he  would  have  been  the  butt 
of  much  high  class  ridicule.  Society  would  have 
been  even  more  severe  on  him  if  he  further  said, 
man  may  only  faintly  distinguish  these  odors,  but 
dogs  and  such  animals  will  develop  this  sense  with 
more  acuteness  while  some  of  the  insects  would 
interpret  these  messages  so  faithfully  that  they 
would  not  require  sight. 

He  would  also  argue  that  nothing  exists 
which  does  not  impress  something  else.  He  would 
point  to  the  spectrum  analysis  of  the  light  of  any 
star,  and  show  that  even  these  electric  particles 
come  to  us  so  impressed  of  their  origin  that  we 
may  know  the  material  of  which  any  star  is  made 


176  Evolution  Proving  Immortality 

without  ever  having’  touched  a grain  of  its  sub- 
stance. 

In  the  same  way  that  he  would  have  been 
obliged  to  struggle,  guessing  some  truth  and  some 
fiction  because  of  the  absence  of  the  sense  of 
smell,  it  is  even  more  difficult  for  us,  with  only 
five  material  senses,  to  understand  and  describe 
any  conception  of  the  greater  metaphysical  uni- 
verse where  entirely  new,  or  much  more  highly 
developed  and  divided  senses  are  probably  nec- 
essary. 

However,  we  know  that  if  a blind  cell  of 
matter,  with  but  the  primitive  sense  of  touch, 
evolved,  and  divided,  to  include  taste,  and  in  time 
developed  an  eye,  the  hearing,  and  the  sense  of 
smell,  (each  opening  worlds  of  knowledge)  the 
spiritual  cells  of  intellect,  as  distinguished  from 
material  cells  of  matter,  would  not  be  idle,  but 
in  their  evolution  of  a soul,  of  which  the  body  of 
man  is  an  image,  would  give  us  the  rudimentary 
metaphysical  eyes  and  metaphysical  means  of  ob- 
taining knowledge  in  the  future  life,  as  eyes  are 
slowly  developed  in  the  womb,  not  to  see  with 
while  in  the  womb,  but  to  be  used  after  birth.  (In 
a similar  manner,  a soul  is  probably  developed  in 
the  body,  not  for  mortal  use,  but  for  the  later 
metaphysical  life.) 

Why  should  we  marvel  at  the  quotation  of 
Paul  that  “Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard, 
neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  the 
things  which  God  hath  prepared  ?”  Return  to  this 
quotation  after  considering  the  vibrations  from 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality  177 

which  we  determine  light  and  sound,  reaching  way 
on  beyond  and  above  human  sight  and  hearing, 
and  as  far  in  the  other  direction  below  the  lowest 
waves  we  may  recognize.  We  can  not  even  imag- 
ine the  new  colors  that  await  us  in  a spiritual 
life,  or  the  pictures  from  new  combinations  of 
colors  there  to  be  seen.  No  human  ears  have  ever 
heard  these  new  sounds  that  will  open  new  fields 
of  music.  Are  there  not  other  vibrations  existing 
to  effect  new  spiritual  senses  that  may  awake  in 
the  future,  as  the  perfect  but  previously  unused 
eyes  of  the  new  born  babe  blink  at  “strange”  lights 
the  first  hour  of  its  birth? 

The  five  senses  of  the  body  are  all  related; 
four  having  evolved  from  the  sense  of  touch.  Any 
new  senses  the  body  develops  must  come  or  be 
developed  from  some  of  these.  In  the  same  way, 
new  soul  senses  may  be  expected  from  this  soul 
life  that  develops  with  the  body. 

This  is  why  St.  Paul  did  most  truly  say: 
“Howbeit  we  speak  wisdom  among  them  that  are 
perfect ; yet  not  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  nor  of 
the  princes  of  this  world,  that  come  to  naught. 
But  we  speak  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a mystery, 
even  the  hidden  wisdom,  which  God  ordained  be- 
fore the  world.” 

May  we  not  evolve  a new  soul  sense?  We 
are  justified  in  using  any  work  of  nature  for  il- 
lustration because  it  is  clearly  established  that 
all  development  of  life  came  from  something  else. 
If  everything  must  develop  from  something  else, 
this  points  of  necessity  to  a constantly  narrowing 


178  Evolution  Proving  Immortality 

common  origin.  Because  all  life  must  have  come 
from  a common  origin,  we  pause  for  an  inquiry 
as  to  insect  sense  evolution.  An  author  tells  of 
an  interesting  experiment  of  Prof  Bruner  of  the 
Nebraska  University: 

“He  had  built  a stone  house  with  walls  sixteen  inches 
thick.  It  had  no  windows  and  with  but  one  door,  which 
was  air-tight.  He  had  put  a breeding  cage  of  ants  inside 
the  house.  He  would  go  inside  and  study  their  habits. 
He  noticed  that  other  ants  would  collect  on  the  outside 
of  the  wail  and  try  to  find  a way  in.  He  found  that  the 
ants  were  always  as  near  as  they  could  get.  He  placed 
the  cage  of  ants  close  to  one  wall  of  the  house.  After  a 
time  he  went  outside  and  found  the  ants  had  collected  on 
the  wall  nearest  the  cage  on  the  inside.  He  changed  the 
cage  from  side  to  side  and  found  that  the  outside  ants 
would  follow  the  cage  and  collect  on  the  wall  just  opposite, 
thus  getting  within  sixteen  inches  of  the  cage.  He  re- 
peated this  experiment  so  often  as  to  eliminate  the  pos- 
sibility of  co-incident.’* 

Professor  Bruner  seemed  to  think  they  were 
possessed  of  an  X-Ray  sight  and  Prof.  Olston 
thought  it  was  telepathy.  I believe  they  were 
both  wrong,  because  of  the  following  experiment 
I had  with  an  ant  recently:  One  Sunday  af- 

ternoon I noticed  a large  ant  crawling  down  the 
couch  on  which  I was  sitting,  where  it  had  evident- 
ly entered  from  the  north  window,  the  screen  of 
which  was  not  tightly  fitted  at  the  bottom.  I 
tossed  it  back  with  an  envelope  and  it  immediately 
returned  like  Bruce’s  spider.  I snapped  it  back, 
as  many  as  ten  times,  and  each  time  it  instantly 
retraced  its  same  course  which  was  very  slightly 
east  of  south.  In  nearly  every  instance  it  would 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality  179 

light,  headed  in  the  direction  it  seemed  determined 
upon.  In  a few  instances  it  would  drop,  headed 
nortli,  and  instantly  whirl,  without  hesitation,  or 
wavering,  and  pursue  this  determined  direction. 
1 then  removed  it  some  distance  to  a large  dining 
table  and  repeated  the  same  experiments,  four  or 
five  times,  with  the  same  results.  I next  placed  a 
large  paper  in  front  of  it  and  upon  its  reaching 
near  the  center  I would  slowly  and  rapidly  twist 
the  paper  around,  anchored  with  a pin  as  its  axis, 
trying  to  confuse  the  ant  upon  direction.  It  would 
keep  itself  headed  m this  south-easterly  direction, 
no  matter  which  way  I turned  the  paper.  By  mov- 
ing the  paper  around  in  a circle,  at  the  same  speed 
the  ant  was  walking,  I kept  it  making  a circle  on 
the  paper  because  of  its  ability  to  maintain  its 
course  regardless  of  my  interference  and  attempt 
to  confuse  and  lose  it.  I then  turned  the  paper 
perpendicular  and  the  ant  would  sometimes  go  up 
and  sometimes  down,  evidently  seeking  a path 
for  its  desired  direction.  I then  removed  it  re- 
spectively into  two  other  rooms  of  the  house  some 
distance  apart  to  test  its  knowledge  of  distance, 
independent  of  any  possible  landmark,  trail,  or 
scent.  The  general  course  of  its  travel  was  the 
same.  I next  took  it  to  the  front  yard,  placing 
it  in  the  sun  on  a cement  walk,  and  with  a great- 
ly increased  speed  it  seemed  to  run  in  the  same 
course  just  a little  east  of  south  and  as  it  left 
the  v/alk  and  crawled  through  the  grass  I stuck 
little  twigs  in  its  path  every  two  or  three  feet, 
following  it  one  hundred  feet.  I then  took  it  up 


180 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


in  a box  and  citing  back  found  its  course  would 
be  considered  as  unvarying.  I then  took  it  over 
150  feet  west  of  the  point  where  I started  it  out- 
side and  releasing  it  again  in  the  grass  I followed 
in  the  same  way,  marking  its  course  as  before 
with  little  twigs.  It  traveled  about  the  same  dis- 
tance when  a dinner  call  caused  me  to  look  up 
to  explain  my  engagement.  The  result  of  this 
home  politeness  was  that  I lost  my  insect  friend 
and  could  follow  it  no  fui'ther.  However,  from  the 
angle  of  these  two  courses  marked  with  little  twigs 
1 estimated  that  its  objective  point  was  about  600 
feet  off  a little  east  of  south.  From  this  observa- 
tion I drew  a few  conclusions  that  may  be  of  inter- 
est to  others.  The  ant  is  said  to  be  both  blind  and 
deaf.  If  such  is  the  case  they  are  deprived  of  two 
senses  which  man  possess.  If  these  little  creatures 
are  unable  to  hear,  or  see,  we  five  sensed  creatures 
would  assume  it  would  use  the  senses  of  smell, 
taste  or  touch  to  find  its  way.  But  with  all  the 
moving  to  strange  places  and  the  distracting  ex- 
periment detailed  above  there  is  no  necessity 
to  assume  that  this  ant  used  any  of  the  senses 
that  man  uses  in  determining  and  keeping  a di- 
rection for  an  apparently  fixed  mental  desire.  It 
seems  clear  that  this  power  was  inherent  with  the 
insect,  as  it  knew  and  could  not  be  deceived  in  its 
determination  and  knowledge  of  where  it  was  go- 
ing. After  this  observation  of  an  ant  I am  in- 
clined to  accept  the  view  that  homing  pigeons, 
migrating  birds,  dogs,  cats,  horses  and  oxen  are 
more  or  less  endowed  with  a sense  of  divining 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


181 


some  things  which  man  does  not  possess.  I do  not 
agree  with  knowing  materialists,  who  have  argued 
that  animals  depend  upon  memory,  or  land  marks, 
ill  their  many  marvelous  trips.  It  is  certain  they 
have  such  power  although  not  so  strong  as  is  evi- 
denced by  the  ant.  I regret  that  my  duties  would 
not  afford  a further  experiment  this  season  to 
gather  some  of  the  ant’s  natural  enemies  to  place 
in  its  path  and  observe  whether  or  not  this  strong 
mental  determination  could  be  interrupted  by  such 
an  influence,  also  watch  their  traveling  away  from 
the  home  to  see  if  there  would  be  any  interruption 
of  action  at  the  instant  some  assistant  destroys 
its  home  by  fire  or  water  or  other  calamity. 

Regardless  of  what  the  future  may  develop 
we  know,  from  the  vast  amount  that  has  been 
written  about  the  ant,  they  contain  storehouses 
of  information  for  the  future.  The  little  we 
know  along  this  line  is  enough  to  indicate  there  is 
a sense  developed  in  these  insects  that  man  does 
not  possess.  If  they  have  it,  as  seems  probable, 
this  sense  was  evolved  from  something  else.  If 
insects  have  evolved  this  sense,  man’s  soul,  when 
conceded  to  exist,  is  capable  of  a much  greater 
and  a never  ending  evolution. 

I do  not  fear  that  any  person  can  prove 
that  a man’s  soul  would  not  have  a spiritual  form 
which  could  be  recognized  by  some  better  devel- 
oped sight  of  other  souls ; would  not  have  a sight 
of  its  own  and  not  only  all  the  senses  of  man  but 
even  divided  and  sub-divided  into  more;  that  it 
would  not  feed  and  nourish  itself  on  knowledge 


182 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


instead  of  matter,  because  then  divorced  from 
matter;  that  it  could  not  pass  among  and  enjoy 
all  of  the  original  beautiful  ideas  of  eternity,  that 
may  have  been  borrowed  for  imperfect  copies  in 
matter  by  architects,  artists,  orators  and  musi- 
cians and  which  may  be  arranged  in  artistic  order 
through  the  metaphysical  universe,  so  that  there 
will  be  no  limit  to  new  and  changing  things  which 
all  nature  craves. 

If  no  man  can  disprove  a future  state,  and 
the  things,  infinitely  hoped  for,  can  even  be 
thought  of  as  mere  illustrations,  by  any  member 
of  struggling  mortality,  and  every  material  thing 
can  be  traced  to  the  very  door-step  of  mind,  what 
puny  nfian  can  destroy  such  a mental  place,  or  men- 
tal progress,  by  denying  that  there  is  a heaven 
for  those  who  desire  it  furnished  to  the  limit  of 
the  highest  ideal  of  mental  conception  and  a hell 
as  gruesome  as  it  may,  by  mental  conception,  be 
made. 

On  the  same  eternal  principle  that  matter 
in  motion  will  continue  at  the  same  speed  forever 
unless  its  speed  and  course  are  changed  by  the 
properties  of  other  matter  in  affinity,  what  can 
be  said  of  this  challenge?  If  it  cannot  be  dis- 
proved when  everything  may  be  resolved  back  to 
pure  mentality  it  may  be  necessary  to  concede  that 
when  freed  from  matter,  any  mental  realization 
is  a reality. 

Motion  is  eternal.  It  may  be  divided  and  di- 
verted from  the  general  current  but  will  return. 
It  cannot  be  annihilated.  If  an  obstruction  is  met 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


183 


with  when  occupying’  one  body  it  will  instantly 
transfer  itself  to  another  body  and  continue  as 
illustrated  by  the  movement  of  the  last  one  of  a 
row  of  billiard  balls  when  the  first  ball  is  struck 
by  another.  It  has  often  been  postulated  that 
energy  and  life  are  closely  related  when  traced 
toward  their  origin.  There  is  no  question,  that 
intelligent  life  is  more  highly  organized  and  spir- 
itualized than  ordinary  energy.  Now,  if  it  be  con- 
ceded, as  it  is,  that  plain  energy  or  force  can  not 
be  destroyed,  but  only  changed  or  diverted  by 
crossing  or  opposing  it  with  another  energy,  what 
has  the  physical  materialist  to  say  in  defense  of 
his  theory,  of  death  destroying  intelligence?  If 
you  can  not  annihilate  or  absolutely  stop  plain 
ordinary  force,  what  becomes  of  the  extraordinary 
spiritualized  self  conscious,  self  satisfied,  immor- 
tality-desiring energy  of  man’s  life  ? If  the  energy 
that  moves  a billiard  ball,  leaps  to  another,  and 
then  goes  on  in  mystery,  when  the  last  ball  stops, 
what  of  the  energy  that  moves  a human  body, 
when  that  body  makes  its  final  stop?  This  illus- 
tration is  not  presented  to  show  the  movement  or 
migration  of  souls  exactly  as  energy  in  billiard 
balls  is  transmitted,  but  only  to  show  by  this  ex- 
periment that  the  materialist  can  not  maintain  his 
position,  that  spiritualized  or  incorporated  intelli- 
gence-energy, if  such  he  may  claim  it  to  be, 
ceases  to  exist,  or  ceases  to  be  a soul,  with  the 
destruction  of  the  body.  If  there  be  eternity  of 
plain  ordinary  motion,  or  energy,  there  may  be 
expected  an  eternity  of  spiritual  energy,  or  mental 


184 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


consciousness — the  human  soul.  In  other  words 
an  intelligence,  absorbed  in  its  own  physical  per- 
fection and  physical  satisfaction,  never  recog- 
nizes the  soul,  or  life  of  another,  unless  manifested 
in  a similar  physical  body.  But  that  does  not  jus- 
tify the  assertion  that  it  does  not  exist. 

It  is  now  conceded  by  the  world  that  the 
energy  coming  from  the  sun  called  light,  is  not 
light  until  it  penetrates  the  resistance  of  the  at- 
mosphere. Beyond  the  earth’s  atmosphere,  space 
is  as  dark  to  us  as  the  deepest  sealed  cavern  of 
this  earth.  The  energy  is  there  or  passing  through, 
but  it  is  not  light  which  the  physically  intoxicated 
life  of  this  earth  could  see,  until  it  reaches  our 
state  of  existence.  Some  idea  of  this  may  be 
formed  from  permitting  a shaft  of  sunlight  to  pen- 
etrate a perfectly  dark  room.  The  rays  that 
might  pass  through  the  room,  and  be  trapped  out 
by  a light-muffled  aperture,  into  another  room, 
could  not  be  noticed  excepting  for  the  atmosphere, 
heightened  by  the  particles  of  dust,  that  twinkle 
like  the  stars  of  the  universe,  defining  the  diam- 
eter and  circumference  of  this  shaft  of  light  pro- 
ducing energy.  There  must  be  physical  contact 
before  the  physically  dominated  mentality  can 
recognize  it.  It  must  be  translated  or  transposed 
by  the  touch  of  our  nature,  like  a foreign  language 
must  be  translated  before  we  know  it.  Light  must 
be  earthized  or  naturalized  here,  before  earth  be- 
ings sense  the  force.  Life  must  be  earthized  or 
encompass  some  material  form,  or  it  will  not  be 
recognized  by  earth  beings.  Life  with  equal,  if 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


185 


not  more,  mystery  than  light,  came  from  some- 
where and  will  go  elsewhere.  Light  may  il- 
luminate or  heat  a body  it  meets,  and  life  may  an- 
imate, and  fill  with  ideas  and  notions  the  material 
of  its  body.  Whether  life  goes  in  disintegrated 
swarms,  or  organized  and  individualized,  may  rest 
with  our  own  determination  or  desire. 

Energy  is  never  known  to  exist  unless  found 
in  association  with  matter.  It  is  transmitted  from 
body  to  body ; sometimes  by  direct  contact  and  at 
other  times  by  immeasurable  leaps.  There  must 
be  some  period — even  if  imperceptible — of  the  ex- 
istence of  energy  not  within  the  universe  of  mat- 
ter. Energy  is  an  alien  in  the  universe  of  matter. 
It  is  a mere  transient  visitor  that  we  recognize 
at  no  time  excepting  when  associated  with  mat- 
ter. But  dare  we  say  that  energy  does  not  exist 
somewhere  and  sometime,  in  its  travel  from  body 
to  body,  while  not  associated  with  matter?  In 
such  a way  a soul  may  never  have  been  recognized 
excepting  in  the  body  of  a man,  but  when  it  ceased 
to  exist  in  the  body,  it  follows  that  its  existence 
is  somewhere  else  beyond  the  universe  of  matter. 

Conceding  some  wonderful  change  yet  the 
mind  hesitates  to  wonder  over  the  perplexities  of 
eating.  We  do  not  understand  how  a soul  could 
exist  without  a body  of  physical  matter  to  feed 
upon  other  physical  matter. 

A future  life  without  banqueting  and  its  ac- 
companying slaughter,  and  waste,  at  first,  causes 
a feeling  of  revulsion  against  an  existence  with- 
out these  allurements.  But  here  permit  a quota- 


186 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


tion  from  J.  Henri  Fabre  in  ‘The  Life  of  the 
Spider:’' 

find  them  at  the  age  of  seven  months  the  same 
as  when  I saw  them  at  their  birth.  The  egg  supplied  the 
materials  necessary  for  their  tiny  frames;  and,  as  the  loss 
of  waste  substance  is,  for  the  moment,  excessively  small, 
or  even  nil,  additional  plastic  food  is  not  needed  so  long 
as  the  beastie  does  not  grow.  In  this  respect  the  pro- 
longed abstinence  presents  no  difficulty.  But  there  re- 
mains the  question  of  energy-producing  food,  which  is 
indispensible,  for  the  little  Lycosa  moves,  when  necessary, 
and  very  actively  at  that.  To  what  shall  we  attribute  the 
heat  expended  upon  action,  when  the  animal  takes  abso- 
lutely no  nourishment? 

‘‘An  idea  suggests  itself.  We  say  to  ourselves  that, 
without  being  life,  a machine  is  something  more  than  mat- 
ter, for  man  has  added  a little  of  his  mind  to  it.  Now 
the  iron  beast,  consuming  its  rations  of  coal,  is  really 
browsing  the  ancient  foliage  of  arborescent  ferns  in  which 
solar  energy  has  accumulated. 

“Beasts  of  flesh  and  blood  act  no  otherwise.  Whether 
they  mutually  devour  one  another  or  levy  tribute  on  the 
plant,  they  invariably  quicken  themselves  with  the  stim- 
ulant of  the  sun’s  heat,  a heat  stored  in  grass,  fruit,  seed 
and  those  which  feed  on  such.  The  sun,  the  soul  of  the 
universe,  is  the  supreme  dispenser  of  energy. 

“Instead  of  being  served  up  through  the  intermediary 
of  food  and  passing  through  the  ignominious  circuit  of 
gastric  chemistry,  could  not  this  solar  energy  penetrate 
the  animal  directly  and  charge  it  with  activity,  even  as 
the  batters  charges  an  accumulator  with  povrer?  Why 
not  live  on  sun,  seeing  that,  after  all,  we  find  naught  but 
sun  in  the  fruits  which  we  consume? 

“Chemical  science,  that  bold  revolutionary,  promises 
to  provide  us  with  synthetic  food-stuffs.  The  laboratory 
and  the  factory  will  take  the  place  of  the  farm.  Why 
should  not  physical  science  step  in  as  well?  It  would 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


187 


leave  the  preparation  of  plastic  food  to  the  chemist’s  re- 
torts; it  would  serve  for  itself  that  of  energy-producing 
food,  which  reduced  to  its  exact  terms,  ceases  to  be  mat- 
ter. With  the  aid  of  some  ingenious  apparatus,  it  would 
pump  into  us  our  daily  ration  of  solar  energy,  to  be  later 
expended  in  movement,  whereby  the  machine  would  be 
kept  going  without  the  often  painful  assistance  of  the 
stomach  and  its  adjuncts.  What  a delightful  world,  where 
one  would  lunch  off  a ray  of  sunshine 

*‘Is  it  a dream,  or  the  anticipation  of  a remote  reality  ? 
The  problem  is  one  of  the  most  important  that  science  can 
set  us.  Let  us  first  hear  the  evidence  of  the  young  Ly- 
cosae  regarding  its  possibilities. 

‘‘For  seven  months,  without  any  material  nourishment, 
they  expend  strength  in  moving.  To  wind  up  the  mechan- 
ism of  their  muscles,  they  recruit  themselves  direct  with 
heat  and  light.  During  the  time  when  she  was  dragging 
the  bag  of  eggs  behind  her,  the  mother,  at  the  best  mo- 
ments of  the  day,  came  and  held  up  her  pill  to  the  sun. 
With  her  two  hind  legs,  she  lifted  it  out  of  the  ground 
into  the  full  light;  slowly  she  turned  it  and  returned  it, 
so  that  every  side  might  receive  its  share  of  the  vivifying 
rays*  Well,  this  bath  of  life,  which  awakened  the  germs, 
is  now  prolonged  to  keep  the  tender  babes  active. 

“Daily,  if  the  sky  be  celar,  the  Lycosae,  carrying  her 
young,  comes  up  from  the  burrow,  leans  on  the  kerb  and 
spends  long  hours  basking  in  the  sun.  Here,  on  their 
mother’s  back,  the  youngsters  stretch  their  limbs  delight- 
edly, saturate  themselves  with  heat,  take  in  reserves  of 
motor  power,  absorb  energy. 

“They  are  motionless;  but  if  I only  blow  upon  them 
they  stampede  as  nimbly  as  though  a hurricane  were  pass- 
ing. Hurriedly,  they  disperse,  hurriedly  they  reassemble; 
a proof  that,  without  material  nourishment,  the  little  ani- 
mal machine  is  always  at  full  pressure,  ready  to  work. 
When  the  shade  comes,  mother  and  sons  go  down  again, 
curfeited  with  solar  emanations.  The  feast  of  energy  at 
the  Sun  Tavern  is  finished  for  the  day.  It  is  repeated  in 


188 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


the  same  way  daily,  if  the  weather  is  mild,  until  the  hour 
of  emancipation  comes,  followed  by  the  first  mouthfulls 
of  solid  food.” 

As  the  young  spider  possibly  acquires  its 
bodily  tissue  directly  from  the  physical  sun,  why 
would  not  a soul  absorb  its  vitality  directly  from 
a metaphysical  sun  or  center  that  even  created 
our  sun  and  the  millions  of  other  suns  and  their 
systems  of  worlds  and  all  incubating  life  thereon  ? 
We  do  not  know  this  to  be  true,  but  it  is  possible. 

Passing  from  food  to  raiment  and  the  resur- 
rection of  the  body,  some  of  us  may  carry  an  er- 
roneous notion  as  to  what  the  body  may  be.  No 
vanity  of  man  would  desire  his  antiquated  finger 
nails  and  the  bushels  of  shedding  cuticle,  disfig- 
uring moles,  or  superfluous  fat  and  wasting  tis- 
sues, for  the  rest  of  eternity.  That  is  not  the 
body.  The  body  is  the  mental  outline,  plan  and 
form,  upon  which  physical  material  is  laid,  for 
the  purpose  of  materializing  the  same  for  resi- 
dence upon  this  material  world.  The  body  is  the 
design,  upon  which  material  cells  expand  through 
the  periods  of  embryo,  infancy  and  childhood,  un- 
til a man  is  built.  This  plan  or  body — this  indi- 
viduality— shall  be  preserved.  The  flesh  and 
bones  we  have  are  a mere  shell  of  parasites,  as  the 
moss  upon  some  precious  jewel,  before  its  beauty 
is  revealed.  It  is  all  but  a mere  excrescence,  perish- 
able in  a few  days,  months,  or  years  at  most.  The 
resurrection  of  the  body  is  probably  the  resurrec- 
tion of  a recognizable  form  not  of  earth  material 
for  mortal  recognition,  but  of  spiritual  form  for 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


189 


spiritual  recognition.  What  would  we  do  with  a 
cumbersome,  perspiring,  decaying  body  of  water 
and  fibre  tissues,  with  nerves  for  pain  and  cells 
01  complex  matter,  in  an  eternal  life?  I crave 
the  resurrection  of  the  body  for  my  conscious 
soul,  but  I should  be  glad  to  be  rid  of  all  blemishes, 
including  flesh  and  bones,  just  as  long  ago  I was 
overjoyed  at  shedding  the  warts  of  boyhood  days. 
I do  not  believe  this  great  mentality — the  soul  of 
man,  is  complete  without  a distinct  form.  The 
form  to  be  resurrected  for  the  spiritual  enfold- 
ment  of  man  in  the  future  estate,  is  what  we  prob- 
ably most  desire — that  of  our  own  bodies.  Per- 
haps we  may  dress  in  a spiritual  glow,  changeable 
at  will  by  a mental  desire,  measured  with  terms 
incalculably  greater  than  the  physical  power  of 
the  chameleon  and  tree  frogs  and  certain  fishes 
that  instantly  change  their  hue.  If  in  this  world, 
fur,  feathers,  fabrics  and  fashions  are  an  improve- 
ment over  the  covering  of  the  individual  as  a germ, 
it  follows  that  in  a correspondingly  improved  state 
of  existence  the  design  and  effect  will  never  pos- 
sess such  limitations  as  are  fixed  upon  by  Paris 
and  the  Orient. 

Throughout  the  Universe  an  invisible  ether 
exists  linking  and  even  pervading  suns  and  worlds 
and  even  the  atoms  and  molecules  thereon.  Con- 
fined to  the  body  of  man  there  is  something  that 
pervades  it  all,  like  the  pervading  ether,  which  we 
call  a soul.  Even  the  man  who  doubts  immortality 
knows  that  the  cells  and  divisions  of  cells  are  com- 
paratively separated  and  made  of  minute  individ- 


190 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


ual  organisms.  However,  that  part  of  the  man 
that  connects  and  unites  all  of  these  mental  and 
physical  particles  into  one  is  a consciousness  of 
personality  imparted  from  before  birth,  that  suc- 
ceeds in  holding  these  individual  mental  and  physi- 
cal cells  together  as  effectually  as  gravity  holds 
the  substances  of  this  earth  in  their  proper  places. 
It  is  that  force  that  appears  to  catch  or  germinate 
mental  crystals,  or  ideas  and  expresses  them 
through  the  complex  body — it  is  the  soul.  The 
soul  will  never  be  found  in  any  knot  of  nerves  or 
cells,  in  any  organ  or  in  the  brain,  because  it  is  all 
through  the  man;  on  the  surface  as  much  as  un- 
der the  skin.  The  physical  body  appears  to  be  the 
mere  instrument  of  the  soul.  Where  was  this 
soul  befoi  e the  world  was  created  and  where  will 
it  go  v.hen  this  world  is  gone,  if  it  does  not  leave 
before?  There  is  no  physical  boundary  or  limi- 
tation for  a purely  mental  being. 

May  we  inhabit  another  star  if  we  desire  a 
physical  base  from  which  to  calculate?  Why 
not?  liven  matter  can  migrate  this  distance.  It 
moves  now  from  star  to  star.  Matter  by  friction 
or  an  awful  cataclysmic  impact  of  two  worlds  may 
be  resolved  down  to  electrons.  Electricity  may  be 
converted  into  heat  and  light.  For  centuries  we 
have  known  that  light  in  some  mysterious  way 
travels  from  the  sun  to  this  earth  in  less  than 
eight  minutes.  It  comes  as  some  refined  quality 
of  electricity  or  energy  and  as  it  approaches  the 
resistance  of  the  earth  it  is  transformed  to  heat 
and  light,  which  are  essential  to  and  become  the 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


191 


main  staff  in  creating  all  animal  and  vegetable 
growth.  It  may  be  this  vitalizing  force  is  due  to 
a subtle  persistence  of  this  product  of  violent  en- 
ergy reasserting  itself  in  the  slower  restful  tissues 
of  life.  This  electric  force,  changed  to  heat  and 
light,  then  to  vegetable  growth,  and  on  to  animal 
tissue,  may  have  been  a similar  tissue  on  some 
other  planet  and  combustion  drove  it  on  in  ocean 
waves  and  electric  form,  piloted  perhaps  by  men- 
tality,— it  carries  with  it  at  about  one-fourth  its 
speed  material  organisms  from  the  sun,  scat- 
tered among  all  the  stars  of  the  universe.  We  ab- 
sorb the  light  of  stars  as  we  absorb  the  sunlight. 
Part  of  the  physical  bodies  of  this  earth,  in  the 
same  way,  may  some  day  migrate  into  space  at 
the  rate  of  twelve  million  miles  a minute. 

If  matter  be  rarified  and  scattered  at  such 
a speed,  stopped,  condensed  and  absorbed  like 
this  and  actually  does  move  in  this  manner 
and  through  this  natural  force,  how  much  more 
may  we  expect  of  its  superior,  the  intellect,  when 
combined  in  mighty  individual  corporations  uf 
mentality?  This  little  earth  is  not  our  future 
home.  The  Universe  is  not  too  large  for  the 
future  life. 

Let  us  take  a glance  at  the  known  phys- 
ical universe.  The  earth  is  estimated  in  weight 
at  6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000  tons.  The  sun 
is  said  to  weigh  320,000  times  as  much.  Beyond 
this  it  is  estimated  there  are  the  millions  of  stars. 
Some  of  these  suns,  from  intense  heat,  are  great 
globules  of  gas,  and  others  cooling  down  and  still 


192 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


others  cooled,  concentrated  and  frozen  into  seem- 
ingly dead  worlds  waiting  for  the  terrific  impreg- 
nating vitality  of  contact  with  another  world. 
Whatever  and  wherever  they  are,  whether  solid 
substance,  or  gas,  they  are  made  up  of  living, 
throbbing,  moving  molecules,  atoms  and  electrons. 
But  of  what  is  an  electron  made,  if  not  material- 
ized from  life,  or  mind? 

In  this  incomprehensible  caldron  of  the  uni- 
verse, worlds  are  being  rhade  inhabitable,  and 
then  uninhabitable,  over  and  over  again.  Life  is 
everywhere;  sometimes  in  one  place  and  some- 
times in  another;  sometimes  in  a higher  form 
and  sometimes  lower.  When  this  world  becomes 
unfit  for  both  human  habitation  and  spiritual  in- 
terest there  are  millions  of  other  places,  phys- 
ical and  metaphysical,  in  exact  harmony  with 
what  any  stage  of  life  may  desire. 

While  I have  been  exceedingly  careful  that 
statements  of  physical  facts  are  authentic,  I do  not 
claim  to  know  that  these  metaphysical  deduc- 
tions are  right  but  I do  claim  that  they  are  rea- 
sonable enough  to  be  worth  thinking  over.  If 
there  is  a future  state,  as  I firmly  believe,  there 
must  be  a future  place  supremely  suitable  for  such 
a state. 

We  can  only  think  and  measure  heaven  by 
the  limited  senses  of  man.  Nevertheless  it  is 
a speculation  in  the  right  direction  as  sure 
as  we  are  born.  I say  this  not  as  a trite 
expression,  but  because  birth  indicates  life  and 
life  is  the  antithesis  of  death.  If  we  were 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


193 


bom  and  live,  life  should  continue  just  as  mo- 
tion continues  and  is  what  man  would  ordi- 
narily concede  to  be  a primary  element.  It  may 
be  asserted  with  great  force  that  a strong  evi- 
dence of  immortality  is  the  fact  of  a conscious- 
ness that  we  are  now  alive.  If  we  are  alive,  we 
should  live  on.  Life  and  motion  are  not  a part 
of,  or  associated  with,  or  related  to  death  and 
rest.  Death,  as  it  is  ordinarily  considered,  is 
that  which  was  never  bora;  that  without  life, 
provided  you  can  find  it.  It  will  be  as  difficult 
to  locate  matter  eternally  dead  as  it  is  to  locate 
matter  eternally  at  rest.  Besides  eternity  in  time, 
eternity  in  space,  eternity  in  motion,  eternity  in 
matter,  eternity  in  everything  implies  eternity  in 
life.  Life,  in  fact,  is  the  progenitor  of  so-called 
eternal  matter.  None  but  the  densely  ignorant 
will  deny  it;  none  but  those  who  feel  they  are 
hopelessly  lost  will  refuse  to  think  upon  the  sub- 
ject. 

After  all  has  been  thought  and  measured 
and  said,  we  return  with  some  assurance  to  that 
constantly  recurring  death-bed  conviction  of  im- 
mortality. We  have  observed  and  been  told  re- 
peatedly that  nearly  every  man  who  approaches 
dissolution  with  his  reasoning  faculties  and  who 
meets  the  proposition  of  death  face  to  face, 
whether  he  has  been  a life-long  atheist,  a pro- 
found scientist,  a man  of  the  world  or  of  litera- 
ture and  learning  or  a thief  and  a murderer,  the 
instant  he  gives  up  all  hope  in  his  fellowmen  he 
begins  his  search  for  God.  That  something  buried 


194 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


within  his  shriveled  soul,  even  by  lifelong  erron- 
eous teaching  will  inevitably  reassert  itself  as  an 
irrepressible  instinct.  Because  a man’s  soul  came 
from  the  Infinite,  we  should  expect  that  at  the 
instant  it  becomes  conscious  of  its  separation  from 
man,  it  will  begin  to  recognize  the  God  from  which 
it  came. 

The  recognition  mentioned  here  is  merely 
mortal  recognition.  I do  not  pretend  to  say  that, 
when  the  transition  through  death  is  made,  con- 
sciousness is  retained  through  this  period.  Some 
devout  people  claim  there  is  a period  of  sleep  and 
then  a resurrection  of  the  body.  It  may  be  true 
that  the  short  period  of  mortal  unconsciousness 
before  death  is  followed  by  a season  of  immortal 
unconsciousness  after  death.  This  question  along 
with  that  of  communication  with  the  dead  or  with 
evil  spirits,  believed  in  by  other  classes,  are  mat- 
ters I have  intentionally  avoided. 

I can  not  be  drawn  into  any  other  discussion, 
than  the  physical  evidence  of  immortality.  Im- 
mortality is  the  mainspring  of  every  religion  of 
the  ages.  There  never  was  and  never  can  be  a 
religion  without  a belief  in  immortality. 

I have  endeavored  to  present  my  argument  in 
such  a manner  as  will  enable  men  of  every  belief 
to  appropriate  these  evidences  for  their  own  re- 
ligion, and  at  the  same  time  afford  no  weapon  for 
conflict  among  the  different  churches.  It  may, 
therefore,  be  detrimental  to  the  good  I hope  to 
accomplish,  even,  to  say  a few  words  for  the  par- 
ticular church  to  which  I belong.  My  church  is 


Evolution  Eroving  Immortality 


195 


of  no  particular  concern  to  the  reader,  and  his 
church  should  not  concern  the  writer.  Upon  such 
a question  every  man  does  what  he  thinks  is  right 
or  he  has  lost  faith  in  all  religion. 

I will  say,  however,  in  a general  way  the 
Christian  religion  is  more  helpful  to  me,  because 
I understand  and  believe  more  of  its  teaching 
than  the  teaching  of  any  other  religion.  This 
may  have  resulted  from  being  raised  in  a 
Christian  country. 

My  advice  is  that  every  man  should  stick  to 
his  religion  and  never  leave  it  to  hunt  for  a better 
one  he  does  not  thoroughly  know.  Change  when 
an  overwhelming  conviction  demands  it.  Any 
church,  as  a matter  of  demonstrable  philosophy  is 
helpful  to  those  who  believe  in  it  while  material- 
ism is  the  acme  of  damnation. 

Materialism  compels  its  supporters  to  give 
up  and  expect  nothing,  destroying  all  hope — ^hope, 
which  is  a force. 

I appeal  to  the  heads  of  the  churches  who 
have  the  interpretation  of  inspired  words  and  are 
responsible  for  the  guidance  of  their  communi- 
cants who  trust  in  them — I appeal  to  them, 
whether  Christian,  Mohammedan,  Buddhist,  or 
of  any  other  faith,  to  study  the  handiwork  of  God 
through  nature  as  an  aid  to  the  meaning  of  His 
words. 


CONCLUSION. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Returning  to  physical  and  practical  things, 
the  theory  of  evolution,  corroborated  by  entomol- 
ogy, biology,  geology  and  other  sciences  applied 
to  the  theory  of  a future  life,  holds  out  more  than 
a grain  of  hope ; affords  encouragement  to  the  oc- 
casional thought  of  a life  beyond  the  grave;  and 
justifies  a university  investigation.  There  is 
much  psychological  investigation  of  spiritual  ex- 
istence of  the  soul.  Assertions  concerning  these 
experiences  become  intensely  interesting  imme- 
diately upon  being  satisfied  of  th  natural  pos- 
sibility of  a future  life.  Many  are  frauds  and 
errors  but  some  are  wonderfully  prophetic  of  what 
we  may  expect  the  truth  to  reveal.  I have  studied 
the  problem  of  death  from  this  point  of  view  as 
well  as  from  other  sides  and  the  more  I investigate 
the  more  confirmed  I become  in  my  opinion  that 
we  may  retain  our  individual  mental  conscious  ex- 
istence after  death. 

Commonly  understood  death  is  natural.  It 
is  necessary  to  life.  It  has  often  been  asked 
(and  we  have  marvelled  at  the  conclusions)  what 
if  every  tree  lived  and  every  seed  germinated 
and  grew  and  every  egg  of  the  salmon,  the  bee, 
and  the  insect  hatched  and  matured  and  never 
passed  away  but  multiplied,  and  every  man  born 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


197 


were  still  living.  This  would  have  been  impossible 
upon  this  earth  if  not  in  the  vast  universe. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  if  the  bodies  of  all 
men  who  have  inhabited  the  globe  could  be  re- 
turned and  stacked  up  they  would  cover  the  face 
of  the  earth  nine  feet  deep.  Death,  therefore, 
or  the  return  of  the  body  to  earth,  is  neces- 
sary after  being  used  to  develop  the  soul.  It  was 
impossible  for  us  to  arrive  until  others  had  de- 
parted. Therefore  we  must  improve  our  oppor- 
tunity and  leave  for  others  to  take  our  places  for 
their  development  in  this  incubator  of  immor- 
tality. 

Nature  has  demanded  this  so-called  death,  or 
surrender  of  the  body,  just  as  a chick  must  cast 
aside  its  shell.  But  there  is  one  consolation,  nar 
ture  has  ordinarily  made  death  painless  at  the 
moment,  hour,  or  day,  of  the  separation  of  the 
soul  and  body  as  it  has  also  made  man’s  birth  into 
this  life  painless,  or  without  a memory  of  the 
occurrence. 

Upon  the  death  of  a body  the  last  install- 
ments of  borrowed  matter,  with  the  elements  of 
life  hasten  to  leave  the  body  transformed  into 
gases.  The  lighter  gases  are  first  to  follow  the 
departure  of  the  soul-life  but  all  undertake  to 
leave  so  quickly  as  to  do  so  in  the  greatest  of 
disorder,  immediately  on  the  departure  of  the 
soul  of  man.  This  little  understood  incident  of 
socalled  bodily  death  indicates  immortality  when 
we  understand  how  the  deserted  body  will  not 
rest  or  stay  dead. 


198 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


Too  many  good  men  are  dead,  for  us  to  say 
there  is  nothing  in  death.  Why  are  we  rushing 
pell  mell  towards  the  grave,  if  at  that  point  the 
force  of  life  stops,  and  ceases  to  be  a force;  and 
that  something  becomes  the  questionable  nothing. 
It  is  unbelievable  to  any  man  of  ordinary  intelli- 
gence. 

By  this  process  of  reasoning  I have  not  only 
satisfied  myself  that  a future  life  is  possible, 
but  that  the  teaching  of  the  Bible  is  in  harmony, 
with  such  view.  They  strengthen  each  other. 
Any  religion  and  any  church,  which  teaches  a 
future  life,  will  be  an  aid  to  this  state  of  existence. 
The  one  which  gives  you  the  strongest  conviction 
will  be  your  greatest  help.  No  new  Bible,  no  new 
book  of  revelations,  no  new  religion,  no  new 
church  is  necessary. 

This  position  is  taken,  because  I believe  that 
the  strongest  physically  demonstrable  assurance 
of  a future  life,  that  the  Bible  contains,  and  which 
nature  reveals  is  that  which  requires  us  to  have 
faith  to  have  eternal  life.  It  required  faith  and 
strong  desire,  for  man’s  ancestors  to  see  and  hear 
and  taste;  it  required  persistent  desire  and  con- 
stant practice,  spurred  on  by  faith,  for  aquatic 
animals  to  leave  the  ocean  and  walk  on  land  for 
constantly  increasing  periods.  It  has  taken  the 
same  kind  of  faith  the  Bible  mentions  to  save  a 
soul.  We  may  live  on,  I am  satisfied,  if  we  will. 


APPENDIX. 


LETTER 

To  the  dear  friends  of  various  beliefs  who  have  writ- 
ten to  me  upon  the  subject  of  immortality  and  those 
urging  that  I incorporate  into  the  final  resolutions  of  a 
revised  version  of  ‘immortality”  some  specific  combina- 
tion of  the  idea  and  their  particular  religion: 

These  requests  give  me  pleasure  and  encouragement, 
coming  as  they  do,  from  various  religions,  because  they 
indicate  a measure  of  success  in  keeping  the  work  free 
from  all  religious  division  and  confined  to  the  one  ques- 
tion they  all  stand  for — Immortality. 

That  all  religions  could  and  do  unite  on  immortality 
as  the  ultimate  realization,  is  true.  But  that  this  belief 
could  be  made  the  unifier  is  not  possible.  In  the  great 
scheme  of  things  immortality  means,  in  a way,  the  faith, 
something  that  exists  as  a verity  and  a pov/er,  while  re- 
ligion must  ever  stand  to  us  in  the  meaning  of  “works.” 
The  church  that  works  with  such  simplicity  that  it  at- 
tains perfection  has  not  been  evolved  by  time — hence 
many  antagonizing  churches.  With  man's  jealousy  of  an- 
other's ascendency,  scepticism  of  true  motive  is  inherent. 
Then  who  shall  co-operate  if  none  may  initiate?  This 
condition  precludes  any  ambition  to  unite  either  churches 
or  religion.  Such  a work  is  beyond  the  power  of  any 
man  and  is  a part  of  God's  work  being  realized,  as  indi- 
viduals are  made  more  and  more  to  understand  His  laws. 

People  have  a right  to  inquire  of  a writer's  opinions 
sufficiently  to  understand  the  viewpoint  from  which 
things  have  been  examined  and  to  consider  and  weigh  the 
credibility  of  the  writer,  and  be  satisfied  he  is  not  an 
adherent  of  some  obscure,  new  or  fanatical  religion — 
when  he  presumes  to  write  upon  immortality.  Again  it 
may  prove  useful  to  give  this  information  of  how  these 


200 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


thoughts  confirmed  my  early  religious  ideas  to  be  used 
as  an  illustration  of  how  they  may  be  applied  to  satisfy 
those  of  different  religions,  so  long  as  they  teach  the 
immortality  of  the  soul.  This  reason  alone  justifies 
appending  this  mere  personal  letter,  which  I do  not  wish 
to  be  regarded  as  any  part  of  the  foregoing  volume. 

This  work,  interesting  me  in  a purely  scientific  in* 
vestigation  irrespective  of  the  Bible,  led  to  the  results 
given,  but  some  people,  especially  of  the  Orient,  expect 
some  statement  of  the  writer's  process  of  harmonizing 
the  conclusions  with  the  prevailing  religion  of  his  country. 

Being  raised  in  a Christian  country,  I was  under  the 
influence  of  the  Bible  and  had,  as  the  world  goes,  the 
usual  unshaped  knowledge  of  it.  Perhaps  this  condition 
invited  the  rather  broad  unstandardized  inquiry  pursued. 

In  considering,  for  argument's  sake,  and  for  the 
time  being,  anything  which  upon  its  face  appears  to  have 
been  proved,  I ask  the  same  fairness  upon  the  part  of  all 
non-Christians  in  considering  these  statements,  and  this 
work,  offered  for  these  purposes. 

There  being  such  vastness  of  physical  nature,  and  it 
being  so  wonderfully  systemized  and  complex,  every 
particle  of  life,  and  of  matter  being  traced  back  to  intel- 
ligence, back  to  a metaphysical  existence,  back  to  a non- 
material state,  under  such  arbitrary  rules  of  progress 
as  we  observe,  could  there  be  such  metaphysical,  or  spir- 
itual rules,  without  a Spiritual  Ruler?  (Manifestly,  man 
is  not  the  greatest  intelligence.)  There  is  a Universe — 
Creating  Intelligence,  that  induced  this  development,  and 
to  Whom  we  must  look  for  further  progress.  It  follows 
that  since  we  are  developing,  and  may  develop  much  more, 
we  should  have  expected  to  hear  from  such  Ruler  as  soon 
as  we  became  qualified  to  understand.  Some  means  would 
have  been  utilized  by  such  a Universe  -Ruler  to  communi- 
cate His  Rules.  As  an  instinct  would  be  sufficient  for  a 
possible  insect-life  development,  a flimsy  crude  supersti- 
tion may  have  been  sufficient  to  inspire  faith  in  many 
aboriginal  types  of  men  for  their  hope  in  the  future.  But 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


201 


it  requires  more  than  superstition  for  most  men  of  today, 
who  analyze  and  reject  unsupported  assertions.  When 
the  more  intelligent  types,  who  learned  to  preserve  and 
communicate  thoughts  in  languages  by  writing  and  read- 
ing, that  system  would  likely  be  the  easiest  and  most  re- 
liable channel  through  which  men  of  this  increasing  in- 
telligence could  be  induced  to  understand  God.  Why 
would  not  this  Ruler  of  the  Universe,  in  dealing  with 
man,  to  encourage  his  faith  for  a spiritual  life,  use  the 
instrument  of  writing,  and  inspire  the  work  to  be  written  ? 

The  instant  we  assume  there  is  a God,  we  are  bound 
to  admit  that  we  should  have  heard  from  Him.  This 
thought  being  so  natural,  no  better  plan  could  have  been 
accepted  by  us  than  an  inspired  written  message,  proved 
by  the  appearance  of  a prophesied  Personal  Representa* 
tive. 


In  one  of  the  prophecies  of  the  coming  of  Christ  we 
are  cautioned  against  necromancy  and  certain  psycholog- 
ical practices  as  abominations,  which  have  been  fully  dem- 
onstrated as  dangerous,  but  we  seem  to  have  been  cau- 
tioned mostly  to  distinguish  imposters  from  the  true 
Prophet  we  were  to  expect. 

For  many  reasons  the  attention  of  the  non-Christian 
should  be  challenged  to  a consideration  of  the  Bible  and 
the  claims  of  Christianity.  We  should  have  been  and 
should  be  most  intently  on  the  lookout  for  some  communi- 
cation from  this  Ruler,  just  as  science  is  studying  dis- 
turbances of  ether,  and  every  phenomenon  upon  Mars  for 
some  communication  from  there.  We  should  consider  the 
endorsements  and  faith  of  the  thousands  of  millions  of 
intelligent  people  who  have  lived  and  died  with  confidence 
in  the  Bible.  With  the  broad  basis  of  Nature,  warranting 
an  expectation  of  communication,  and  with  the  recom- 
mendation for  this  particular  book,  we  should  read  the 
Bible,  and  read  it  as  a whole.  We  should  read  it  with 
these  things  of  Nature  in  view,  and  not  merely  to  discover 
Bome  stumbling  block  in  a phrase. 


202 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


No  doubt  some  by  reading,  will  be  unsatisfied.  I have 
been  that  way  during  many  years  of  my  life,  although 
I have  never  wanted  to  be. 

As  a boy  I listened  to  sermon  after  sermon  by  my  • 
father  and  by  many  other  ministers,  hoping  to  hear  some- 
thing I longed  for,  making  tangible  for  me  a faith  so  ap- 
parent in  others.  Time  after  time  I felt  unfortunate  in 
not  being  able  to  hear  the  sermon  of  such  anticipation. 
Attendance  at  revivals  did  not  produce  the  satisfaction 
craved,  yet  nevertheless  this  stimulated  the  childhood 
faith.  Casual  articles  on  materialism  gave  me  staggering 
blows,  until  I undertook  a deep  personal  and  unbiased 
study  for  my  own  satisfaction.  The  result  of  this  study 
was  such  that,  if  the  Bible  had  been  impeached  and 
shown  a bundle  of  forgeries,  I would,  from  the  evidence 
presented  to  you  in  this  book,  still  have  a religious  hope, 
and  remain  in  much  the  same  position  to  which  the  Bible 
originally  elevated  me  in  this  early  period.  (Religion  is 
natural  wherever  not  yet  divine.) 

On  the  other  hand,  while  in  this  state  of  doubt,  the 
materialist  took  me  to  the  other  extreme  from  religious 
convistion,  where  I followed  to  material  limitations.  Re- 
fusing to  stop  there,  I went  on  upon  my  own  resources, 
by  the  same  process  of  reasoning,  which  the  materialists 
so  logically  use,  until  reaching  as  great  a mystery,  or  a 
greater  mythology,  if  it  be  mythology,  than  the  Bible  has 
ever  been  accused  of  representing.  The  alleged  material 
source  of  evolution  must  needs  be  spiritual,  because  it  is 
not,  and  cannot  be  located,  or  stopped,  within  any  dimen- 
sions of  the  material.  There  is  so  much  mystery,  specula- 
tion, sophistry,  and  so  many  gross  mistakes,  in  science 
and  matter,  as  time  and  again  shown  by  new  discoveries 
upsetting  long  lines  of  calculations,  that,  in  my  opinion, 
one  becomes  so  weary,  and  bewildered,  that  it  is  a relief 
to  return  to  the  Bible  for  genuine  stability. 

When  we  read  in  Genesis  and  John  that  in  the  begin- 
ning was  the  ‘‘Word,”  and  when  we  consider  this  begin- 
ning referred  to  as  a mist  with  darkness  over  the  face 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


203 


of  the  ‘‘deep;^’  and  when  we  further  consider  that  this  mist 
was  separated,  and  only  that  part  below  the  firmament  was 
mentioned  thereafter — where  the  dry  land  was  made  to 
appear — what  a picture  we  have  of  the  scientific  develop- 
ment of  the  earth,  considering  all  that  is  to  be  found  in  a 
spiral  nebula! 

If  this  nebulous  matter  was  heated  by  the  friction  of 
coming  together,  or  from  any  other  cause,  when  it  cooled 
we  know  that  it  would  begin  at  the  poles,  and  that  that 
part  of  the  globe  would  naturally  become  first  habitable 
to  life.  The  Garden  of  Eden  could  have  been  nowhere  else, 
according  to  Nature,  than  upon  the  land  around  the 
north  or  south  pole  of  that  time.  The  north  pole  is  fa- 
vored in  this  conclusion,  because  there  is  much  less  evi- 
dence of  our  land  connections  with  the  south  than  the 
north  pole.  Corroborating  this  view  is  the  Biblical  men- 
tion of  the  flaming  sword  that  guards  this  sacred  spot, 
which  may  be  the  Aurora  Borealis.  Lieutenant  Peary  and 
Dr.  Cook  must  both  produce  more  proof  than  they  have 
ever  presented  before  I will  become  satisfied  that  either 
have  ever  entered  that  mystery-land,  which  was  withdrawn, 
frozen,  and  perhaps  submerged  from  man. 

In  prophecy,  concerning  the  political  world,  how  start- 
ling is  the  statement,  that,  man  may  neither  buy,  nor  sell, 
without  a number  in  his  hand,  when  we  see  the  organiza- 
tion of  union  labor  making  warfare  upon  non-union  men, 
and  when  we  see  the  numbered  licenses  of  plumbers,  of 
milkmen,  of  barbers,  and  many  trades,  extended  to  hun- 
dreds, and  thousands,  of  callings.  In  some  countries  of  the 
world  men  of  every  vocation  are  licensed,  and  men  almost 
literally  carry  a number  in  the  hand. 

In  prophecy  concerning  the  mechanical  world,  we  have 
a perfect  picture  of  steam  engines,  electric  lines,  automo- 
biles, traction  engines  and  telegraphy.  These  things  in 
the  Bible  were  never  understood  by  the  people  three  hun- 
drd  years  ago,  nor  one  hundred  years  ago. 

The  three,  or  four,  Biblical  views,  merely  referred 
to,  without  strict  quotation,  may  not  be  the  real  and  cor- 


204 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


rect  understanding,  as  intended  by  God,  but  are  given  as 
illustrations  of  the  result  of  man  trying  to  understand 
God’s  Word  and  His  World. 

A most  interesting  volume  could  be  written  upon  the 
changing  sciences  and  the  staid  old  Bible.  But  the  further 
we  progress  the  more  our  sciences  are  harmonizing  them- 
selves with  the  Bible.  And  in  this  respect  I do  not  regard 
these  investigations,  where  carried  on  with  the  right  de- 
termination, and  faith,  as  the  least  sacriligious,  or  detri- 
mental, because  God  approves  knowledge  and  wisdom.  Yet, 
we  must  remember  how  little  the  greatest  of  men  really 
know.  But,  before  leaving  the  subject  we  must  not 
overlook  the  climax  of  prophecy  and  fulfilment  in  the 
wonderful  story  of  Jesus  Christ,  His  foretold  birth.  His 
unparalleled  life — never  approached  by  any  of  the  great 
men  of  the  succeeding  nearly  two  thousand  years.  His 
crucifixion,  and  His  resurrection. 

The  hundreds  of  millions  of  men  who  follow  others, 
as  prophets  of  God,  may  not  agree  with  me.  But,  if  any 
of  you  have  found  these  things  helpful  in  your  religion  and 
if  I have  pointed  out  wherein  they  are  helpful  in  my  re- 
ligion does  it  not  indicate  some  correlation  between  all 
religions. 

Although  honest  and  conscientious  in  all  I have  writ- 
ten, with  my  best  understanding,  if  any  statements  made, 
or  conclusions  drawn,  in  my  work  are  not  in  accord  with 
the  Bible,  in  my  judgment,  as  a Christian,  they  should 
not  stand  and  newer  science  will  some  day  condemn  them. 
You  surely  understand  that  I do  not  mean  to  assert,  that, 
what  I have  said  harmonizes  with  man’s  conception  of  all 
of  the  Bible.  Some  people  have,  in  my  judgment,  very 
queer  notions  about  the  meaning  of  the  Scripture,  and 
some  of  us  do  not  understand  many  portions  clear  to 
others.  Some  people  believe  that  God  molded  a man  out 
of  clay  and  water,  with  hands,  in  a minute,  much  as  a 
molder  forms  a brick  in  a frame.  But  I think — and  claim 
a right  to  think — that  God  made  man  enter  this  world 
through  matter,  figuratively  speaking,  as  inconsequential 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


205 


as  the  dust  of  the  earth;  that  the  breath  of  life  He  breathed 
into  the  man  was  the  first  faint  knowledge  and  hope  of  a 
spiritual  existence,  and  the  faith  so  necessary  to  salvation. 
Of  course,  non-Christians,  or  sect  divided  Christians,  need 
not  believe  as  I do.  My  views  are  not  by  any  means  of- 
fered as  religious  tenets.  Your  own  faith,  from  your  own 
religious  conception,  is  more  valuable  to  you  than  any- 
thing I may  offer  along  this  line,  unless  that  faith  has 
been  exceedingly  weak.  Besides  I may  wish  to  change 
many  of  these  material  views,  as  I would  surely  do,  if 
given  a clearer  light  to  understand  God^s  Word. 

If  these  chapters  aid  Bramins,  Buddhists,  Jews,.  The- 
osophists,  Spiritualists  and  men  of  other  religions  as  well 
as  Christians,  it  is  my  hope  that  they  may  be  strength- 
ened in  their  belief  in  a future  life.  Expecting  a future 
existence  makes  him  a better  man  during  this  life.  The 
better  we  are  here,  under  every  theory  predicates  a better 
existence  hereafter.  However,  it  appears  to  be  perfectly 
proper  to  invite  any  non-Christian,  who  is  unstable  in  his 
faith,  or  philosophy,  to  examine  the  claims  of  Christianity, 
as  compared  with  any  other  doctrine,  or  philosophy. 

It  is  suggested  at  this  point  to  men  of  all  religions, 
that,  if  there  be  but  one  God,  as  ought  to  be  clear,  and 
He  has  sent  us  His  Word  in  writing,  it  was  in  one  Bible, 
and  with  one  Personal  Representative  to  aid  in  its  inter^ 
pretation.  The  weakness  upon  the  part  of  man,  which 
required  an  Interpreter  to  select,  separate,  correct  and 
point  out,  was  according  to  some  views,  necessary,  at  that 
period  of  development,  to  distinguish  inspired  writings 
from  merely  good  books.  Many  of  the  same  truths  of  the 
plan  of  God  are,  no  doubt,  in  other  books  and  entered  the 
minds  of  men  by  divine  guidance,  but  there  was  one  set 
of  writings  in  this  way  particularly  distinguished. 

That  which  has  been  presented  should  help  those  who 
believe  even  in  a different  bible,  as  I have  said  it  has 
helped  me  even  though  my  Bible  should  be  discredited. 
But  in  my  opinion,  as  a Christian,  it  not  having  been  dis- 
credited, I feel  that  I am  a better  Christian  than  I have 


206 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


ever  been,  and  have  no  reason  to  change  my  manner  of 
prayer,  or  worship.  On  the  other  hand,  if  needs  be,  al- 
though I do  not  see  the  necessity,  I stand  ready  to  bundle 
my  work  with  the  work  of  Haeckle,  Darwin,  Huxley,  Kant 
and  others,  and  throw  them  upon  the  burning  brush-heap 
of  public  condemnation,  and  take  the  Christian  Bible  as 
the  truest  standard  of  life,  of  death,  of  science,  of  the  here, 
and  the  hereafter,  abiding  by  the  anathema  upon  him  who 
addeth  to,  or  taketh  away,  from  the  Holy  Writ.  I know 
that  I never  would  have  thought  of  making  this  investiga- 
tion, had  it  not  been  for  the  books  mentioned. 

These  books  may  have  been  necessary  to  destroy  a 
too  narrow  past  conception  of  the  Bible.  Galileo  was  a 
courageous  and  useful  man  to  make  the  church  give  up 
its  erroneous  opinion  that  the  world  was  square  merely 
because  reference  was  made  to  the  four  concerns  of  the 
earth.  Knowledge  of  the  process  of  evolution  will  not  af- 
fect the  Bible  any  more  than  the  knowledge  foreshadowed 
by  Galileo  has  affected  the  Bible.  What  were  the  four 
corners  of  the  earth,  more  or  less,  than  the  whole  sur- 
face of  the  earth?  The  meaning  conveyed  was  all  of  it. 
The  writer  of  these  passages  of  the  Bible  and  the  people 
of  the  time  believed  the  world  square.  Therefore  they 
would  accept  the  message  with  such  a conception.  To  have 
called  it  a globe  then  might  have  made  the  Bible  too  vague 
in  the  eyes  of  the  people.  Yet,  in  fact,  the  Bible  did  and 
does  say:  ‘‘He  stretcheth  out  the  north  over  empty  space 
and  hangeth  the  earth  upon  nothing.” — Job  26-7.  Let  us 
not  be  too  hasty  in  condemning  Galileo,  or  Darwin,  or 
Huxley,  or  others.  However,  if  they  are,  in  your  judg- 
ment, wrong  in  everything  they  say  and  I am  also  wrong  in 
my  disagreement  with  them,  consider  what  is  said  in  this 
book  as  a mere  counter  irritant. 

As  we  take  into  the  human  system  an  alkali  poison 
to  counteract  an  acid  poison,  or  an  acid  to  counteract  an 
alkali,  I am  willing  and  anxious,  if  it  may  have  any  such 
value,  as  it  appears  to  me,  for  this  work  to  stand  as  long 
as  these  other  works  may  stand,  for  those  in  need  of 


Evolution  Proving  Immortality 


207 


something  as  an  antidote  to  the  devil’s  disease  of  material- 
ism. 

Although  this  research  has  helped  me  much  at  a time 
when  in  need  of  help,  now  I feel  satisfied  I was  taught 
substantially  right  as  a child.  It  may  be  that  this  work 
will  help  you  to  come  back,  as  it  has  helped  me.  If  so,  it 
has  more  than  performed  its  mission.  You  may  later 
discard  its  use,  as  I have,  excepting  to  meet  the  argu- 
ments of  philosophical  atheists,  and  you  may  then  happily 
spend  the  rest  of  your  life  in  the  comfort  of  your  religion, 
and  the  society  of  your  church.  Any  hope  of  life  based 
upon  philosophy  alone  makes  one  a religious  wanderer 
and  destroys  that  certainty  necessary  for  faith,  which  is 
the  foundation  of  our  future. 

I have  no  religious  reforms  to  offer  and  no  new 
thoughts  to  teach.  I believe  the  Bible  was  written  as 
claimed  therein,  for  all  men  and  all  times,  and  nothing 
new  will  be  discovered  to  permanently  show  any  part  of 
the  Bible  is  out  of  harmony  with  itself,  or  with  Nature. 
Being  written  for  all  men  and  all  times  may  be  a reason 
why  there  are  portions  we  do  not  understand.  However, 
it  is  both  a history  and  a revelation,  so  truly  written  that 
its  inspiration  must  be  divine. 

I insist  upon  having  it  understod  that  I am  not  fight- 
ing any  church,  even  though  I may  not  agree  with  its 
doctrine.  My  only  contest  is  with  that  class  of  egotists, 
who  proclaim  there  is  no  basis  for  any  religion,  and  that 
contest  is  only  to  be  a contest  of  reason. 

In  my  closing  words,  as  a Christian  to  Christians,  let 
it  be  repeated  as  I have  tried  to  keep  before  your  minds, 
the  injunction,  that,  if  I have  given  utterance  to  any 
thought  contrary  to  the  teaching  of  the  Bible,  you  should 
strike  it  out  of  your  consideration.  I want  nothing  to  re- 
main in  your  minds  as  a distrubing  element,  from  such 
a flimsy  “religion”  as  science  or  philosophy  is,  unless  it 
squares  with  the  Word  of  God.  To  men  of  other  religions, 
let  nothing  I have  said  disturb  you  in  your  religion,  if 
the  result  be  a tendency  towards  atheism.  No  intelligent 


I 


208  Evolution  Proving  Immortality 

man  will  study  these  great  questions  and  deny  there  is  a 
God.  Had  investigations  led  me  merely  to  a cell  of  mat- 
ter as  the  origin  of  life,  and  then  stopped  with  a Dar- 
winian Adam  and  Eve — a pair  of  bugs — a cell  that  divides 
itself,  and  no  means  existed  to  go  any  further,  I would  have 
admitted,  reluctantly,  that  the  materialist  had  delivered  a 
severe  blow  to  religion  and  immortality.  Since  it  does 
not  stop  there,  I must  concede  an  Infinite.  There  is  Im- 
mortality, and  that  is  a basis  for  all  religions.  Some  one 
religion  may  ultimately  be  the  best.  It  may  be  yours,  and 
it  may  be  mine.  Until  a better  one  is  pointed  out  I ex- 
pect to  retain  my  own  satisfying  religion,  based  upon  faith 
in  the  Bible,  but  concede  to  you  the  same  broad  privilege 
of  a perfect  freedom  to  choose  your  own  religion,  or  man- 
ner of  serving  God.  However,  who  has  a more  important 
business  in  this  world  than  to  find  out,  and- live  the  pre- 
ferred and  commanded  religion  of  God? 

Sincerely, 

JOHN  O.  YEISER. 


